Sample records for controlled reactors reactores

This standard applies to the following types of reactors: shunt reactors, current-limiting reactors including neutral-earthing reactors, damping reactors, tuning (filter) reactors, earthing transformers (neutral couplers), arc-suppression reactors, smoothing reactors, with the exception of the following reactors: small reactors with a rating generally less than 2 kvar single-phase and 10 kvar three-phase, reactors for special purposes such as high-frequency line traps or reactors mounted on rolling stock.

1. A neutronic reactor having a moderator, coolant tubes traversing the moderator from an inlet end to an outlet end, bodies of material fissionable by neutrons of thermal energy disposed within the coolant tubes, and means for circulating water through said coolant tubes characterized by the improved construction wherein the coolant tubes are constructed of aluminum having an outer diameter of 1.729 inches and a wall thickness of 0.059 inch, and the means for circulating a liquid coolant through the tubes includes a source of water at a pressure of approximately 350 pounds per square inch connected to the inlet end of the tubes, and said construction including a pressure reducing orifice disposed at the inlet ends of the tubes reducing the pressure of the water by approximately 150 pounds per square inch.

In this report a new method of reactorcontrol based on tho isotopic moderator composition variation is studied, taking as a reference a D{sub 2}O/H{sub 2}O system. With this method an spectacular increment in the burn-up degree and a sensible reduction of the conventional control system is obtained. An important part of this work has been the detailed analysis of the parameters affecting the neutron spectrum in a heterogeneous reactor. (Author) 50 refs.

Full Text Available This paper describes a mathematical model of an industrial chemical reactor for production of synthetic rubber. During reactor operation the model parameters vary considerably. To create a control algorithm performed transformation of mathematical model of the reactor in order to obtain a dependency that can be used to determine the model parameters are changing during reactor operation.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Nuclear reactors to support future robotic and manned missions impose new and innovative technological requirements for their control and protection instrumentation....

The control of a boiling slurry nuclear reactor is described. The reactor consists of a vertical tube having an enlarged portion, a steam drum at the top of the vertical tube, and at least one downcomer connecting the steam drum and the bottom of the vertical tube, the reactor being filled with a slurry of fissionabie material in water of such concentration that the enlarged portion of the vertical tube contains a critical mass. The slurry boils in the vertical tube and circulates upwardly therein and downwardly in the downcomer. To control the reactor by controlling the circulation of the slurry, a gas is introduced into the downcomer. (AEC)

Considering safety-oriented design concept and other control environment, we developed a simple controller that provides limiting function of power change- rate as well as fine tracking performance. The design result has been well-proven via simulation and actual application to a TRIGA-II type research reactor. The proposed controller is designed to track the PDM(Power Demand) from operator input as long as maintaining the power change rate lower than a certain value for stable reactor operation. A power control method for a TRIGA-II type research reactor has been designed, simulated, and applied to actual reactor. The control performance during commissioning test shows that the proposed controller provides fine control performance for various changes in reference values (PDM), even though there is large measurement noise from neutron detectors. The overshoot at low power level is acceptable in a sense of reactor operation.

control approaches that have been used are comprehensively described. These include simple and adaptive controllers, as well as more recent developments such as fuzzy controllers, knowledge-based controllers and controllers based on neural networks.......The current status in monitoring and control of anaerobic reactors is reviewed. The influence of reactor design and waste composition on the possible monitoring and control schemes is examined. After defining the overall control structure, and possible control objectives, the possible process...

This invention, which resulted from a contact with the United States Department of Energy, relates to a control mechanism for a nuclear reactor and, more particularly, to an assembly for selectively shifting different numbers of reactivity modifying rods into and out of the core of a nuclear reactor. It has been proposed heretofore to control the reactivity of a breeder reactor by varying the depth of insertion of control rods (e.g., rods containing a fertile material such as ThO/sub 2/) in the core of the reactor, thereby varying the amount of neutron-thermalizing coolant and the amount of neutron-capturing material in the core. This invention relates to a mechanism which can advantageously be used in this type of reactorcontrol system.

This pamphlet describes how reactors work; discusses reactor design; describes research, teaching, and materials testing reactors; production reactors; reactors for electric power generation; reactors for supply heat; reactors for propulsion; reactors for space; reactor safety; and reactors of tomorrow. The appendix discusses characteristics of U.S. civilian power reactor concepts and lists some of the U.S. reactor power projects, with location, type, capacity, owner, and startup date.

Reactor Operation covers the theoretical aspects and design information of nuclear reactors. This book is composed of nine chapters that also consider their control, calibration, and experimentation.The opening chapters present the general problems of reactor operation and the principles of reactorcontrol and operation. The succeeding chapters deal with the instrumentation, start-up, pre-commissioning, and physical experiments of nuclear reactors. The remaining chapters are devoted to the control rod calibrations and temperature coefficient measurements in the reactor. These chapters also exp

measurements are reviewed in detail. In the sequel, possible manipulated variables, such as the hydraulic retention time, the organic loading rate, the sludge retention time, temperature, pH and alkalinity are evaluated with respect to the two main reactor types: high-rate and low-rate. Finally, the different......The current status in monitoring and control of anaerobic reactors is reviewed. The influence of reactor design and waste composition on the possible monitoring and control schemes is examined. After defining the overall control structure, and possible control objectives, the possible process...

Full Text Available The main objective of this work is the design and implementation of control solutions for petrochemical processes, namely the control and optimization of a pyrolysis reactor, the key-installation in the petrochemical industry. We present the technological characteristics of this petrochemical process and some aspects about the proposed control system solution for the ethylene plant. Finally, an optimal operating point for the reactor is found, considering that the process has a nonlinear multi-variable structure. The results have been implemented on an assembly of pyrolysis reactors on a petrochemical platform from Romania.

The Reactor Physics and MYRRHA Department of SCK-CEN offers expertise in various areas of reactor physics, in particular in neutronics calculations, reactor dosimetry, reactor operation, reactor safety and control and non-destructive analysis of reactor fuel. This expertise is applied in the Department's own research projects in the VENUS critical facility, in the BR1 reactor and in the MYRRHA project (this project aims at designing a prototype Accelerator Driven System). Available expertise is also used in programmes external to the Department such as the reactor pressure steel vessel programme, the BR2 reactor dosimetry, and the preparation and interpretation of irradiation experiments by means of neutron and gamma calculations. The activities of the Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Technologies in Nuclear Science programme cover several domains outside the department. Progress and achievements in these topical areas in 2000 are summarised.

Reactor Safeguards provides information for all who are interested in the subject of reactor safeguards. Much of the material is descriptive although some sections are written for the engineer or physicist directly concerned with hazards analysis or site selection problems. The book opens with an introductory chapter on radiation hazards, the construction of nuclear reactors, safety issues, and the operation of nuclear reactors. This is followed by separate chapters that discuss radioactive materials, reactor kinetics, control and safety systems, containment, safety features for water reactor

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Nuclear reactors to support future lunar and Mars robotic and manned missions impose new and innovative technological requirements for their control and protection...

The neutron Radiography Reactor (NRAD) is a training, research, and isotope (TRIGA) reactor located at the INL. The reactor is normally shut down by the insertion of three control rods that drop into the core when power is removed from electromagnets. During a routine shutdown, indicator lights on the console showed that one of the control rods was not inserted. It was initially thought that the indicator lights were in error because of a limit switch that was out of adjustment. Through further testing, it was determined that the control rod did not drop when the scram switch was initially pressed. The control rod anomaly led to a six month shutdown of the reactor and an in depth investigation of the reactor protective system. The investigation looked into: scram switch operation, console modifications, and control rod drive mechanisms. A number of latent issues were discovered and corrected during the investigation. The cause of the control rod malfunction was found to be a buildup of corrosion in the control rod drive mechanism. The investigation resulted in modifications to equipment, changes to both operation and maintenance procedures, and additional training. No reoccurrences of the problem have been observed since corrective actions were implemented.

A fluid driven jet-edge whistle timing system is described for control rods of a nuclear reactor for producing real-time detection of the timing of each control rod in its scram operation. An important parameter in reactor safety, particularly for liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR), is the time deviation between the time the control rod is released and the time the rod actually reaches the down position. The whistle has a nearly pure tone signal with center frequency (above 100 kHz) far above the frequency band in which the energy of the background noise is concentrated. Each control rod can be fitted with a whistle with a different frequency so that there is no ambiguity in differentiating the signal from each control rod.

Understanding time-dependent behaviors of nuclear reactors and the methods of their control is essential to the operation and safety of nuclear power plants. This book provides graduate students, researchers, and engineers in nuclear engineering comprehensive information on both the fundamental theory of nuclear reactor kinetics and control and the state-of-the-art practice in actual plants, as well as the idea of how to bridge the two. The first part focuses on understanding fundamental nuclear kinetics. It introduces delayed neutrons, fission chain reactions, point kinetics theory, reactivit

Different temperature control schemes for the COPROX stage of a 5-kW fuel cell system were analyzed. It was found that, among the schemes proposed, i.e., co- and countercurrent heat exchange, single adiabatic reactor and series of adiabatic reactors with interstage heat exchange, the best choice for temperature control was the series of adiabatic reactors with interstage heat exchange. This scheme represented the best way to keep the average temperature around 443 K, which was found to be the most suitable temperature for selectivity towards CO oxidation. If hydrogen is produced from ethanol steam reforming, the heat withdrawal can be carried out by the water/ethanol reformer feed mixture, thus contributing to the energy integration of the overall system. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Full Text Available Power factor improvement is the essence of any power sector for reliable operation. This paper provides Thyristor ControlledReactor regulated by programmed microcontroller which aids in improving power factor and retaining it close to unity under various loading conditions. The implementation is done on 8051 microcontrollerwhich isprogrammed using Keil software. To determine time lag between current and voltage PSpice softwareis used and to display power factor according tothe variation in loadProteus software is used. Whenever a capacitive load is connected to the transmission linea shunt reactor is connected which injects lagging reactive VARs to the power system. As a result the power factor is improved. The results given in this paper provides suitable microcontroller based reactive power compensation and power factor improvement technique using a Thyristor ControlledReactor module.

Autonomous and semi-autonomous control is a key element of space reactor design in order to meet the mission requirements of safety, reliability, survivability, and life expectancy. Interrestrial nuclear power plants, human operators are avilable to perform intelligent control functions that are necessary for both normal and abnormal operational conditions.

Full Text Available Several Generation IV nuclear reactor concepts have goals for optimizing investment recovery through phased introduction of multiple units on a common site with shared facilities and/or reconfigurable energy conversion systems. Additionally, small modular reactors are suitable for remote deployment to support highly localized microgrids in isolated, underdeveloped regions. The long-term economic viability of these advanced reactor plants depends on significant reductions in plant operations and maintenance costs. To accomplish these goals, intelligent control and diagnostic capabilities are needed to provide nearly autonomous operations with anticipatory maintenance. A nearly autonomous control system should enable automatic operation of a nuclear power plant while adapting to equipment faults and other upsets. It needs to have many intelligent capabilities, such as diagnosis, simulation, analysis, planning, reconfigurability, self-validation, and decision. These capabilities have been the subject of research for many years, but an autonomous control system for nuclear power generation remains as-yet an unrealized goal. This article describes a functional framework for intelligent, autonomous control that can facilitate the integration of control, diagnostic, and decision-making capabilities to satisfy the operational and performance goals of power plants based on multimodular advanced reactors.

Full Text Available Multivariable feedback control has been adapted for optimal control of the spatial power distribution in nuclear reactor cores. Two design techniques, based on the theory of automatic control, were developed: the State Variable Feedback (SVF is an application of the linear optimal control theory, and the Multivariable Frequency Response (MFR is based on a generalization of the traditional frequency response approach to control system design.

A magnetic reed switch assembly is described for activating an electromagnetic grapple utilized to hold a control rod in position above a reactor core. In normal operation the magnetic field of a permanent magnet is short-circuited by a magnetic shunt, diverting the magnetic field away from the reed switch. The magnetic shunt is made of a material having a Curie-point at the desired release temperature. Above that temperature the material loses its ferromagnetic properties, and the magnetic path is diverted to the reed switch which closes and short-circuits the control circuit for the control rod electro-magnetic grapple which allows the control rod to drop into the reactor core for controlling the reactivity of the core.

Highlights: • Linearization of the modal synthesis model of neutronic kinetic equations for CANDU reactors. • Validation of the linearized dynamic model through closed-loop simulations by using the reactor regulating system. • Design of a LQR state feedback controller for CANDU core power distribution control. • Comparison of the results of this new controller against those of the conventional reactor regulation system. - Abstract: Modal synthesis representation of a neutronic kinetic model for a CANDU reactor core has been utilized in the analysis and synthesis for reactorcontrol systems. Among all the mode shapes, the fundamental mode of the power distribution, which also coincides with the desired reactor power distribution during operation, is used in the control system design. The nonlinear modal models are linearized around desired operating points. Based on the linearized model, linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control approach is used to synthesize a state feedback controller. The performance of this controller has been evaluated by using the original nonlinear models under load-following conditions. It has been demonstrated that the proposed reactorcontrol system can produce more uniform power distribution than the traditional reactor regulation systems (RRS); in particular, it is more effective in compensating the Xenon induced transients.

With the perspective of investigating a suitable control design for autotrophic nitrogen removal, this work explores the control design for a SHARON reactor. With this aim, a full model is developed, including the pH dependency, in order to simulate the reactor and determine the optimal operating...

Full Text Available Several vendors have recently been actively pursuing the development of integral pressurized water reactors (iPWRs that range in power levels from small to large reactors. Integral reactors have the features of minimum vessel penetrations, passive heat removal after reactor shutdown, and modular construction that allow fast plant integration and a secure fuel cycle. The features of an integral reactor limit the options for placing control and safety system instruments. The development of instrumentation and control (I&C strategies for a large 1,000 MWe iPWR is described. Reactor system modeling—which includes reactor core dynamics, primary heat exchanger, and the steam flashing drum—is an important part of I&C development and validation, and thereby consolidates the overall implementation for a large iPWR. The results of simulation models, control development, and instrumentation features illustrate the systematic approach that is applicable to integral light water reactors.

Full Text Available To provide technique references for vibration reduction of magnetically controlledreactors (MCRs, stress, which is the inherent reason of vibration and noise, should be investigated. Stresses in reactor cores are produced due to the magnetostriction deformation of silicon steel and electromagnetic force between the core discs. So far, stress analysis on reactor cores was based on one-way coupled numerical method, which did not consider the influence of the stress on magnetic properties of the core material. Thus, multi-group magnetization and magnetostriction characteristics curves of silicon steel under different tensile stresses are measured firstly to support the computation. From the experiment results, it can be seen that magnetic properties of silicon steel change with stress. Then an electromagneto-mechanical two-way coupled numerical model for MCRs considering magnetostrictive effect and electromagnetic force effect is proposed. Stress distribution of MCR cores under the combination excitation of the sinusoidal wave current and different direct currents are calculated. From the computed results, it can be seen that a larger direct current has greater influence on MCRs vibration, which provides a theory basis for further analysis of vibration and noise reduction.

To provide technique references for vibration reduction of magnetically controlledreactors (MCRs), stress, which is the inherent reason of vibration and noise, should be investigated. Stresses in reactor cores are produced due to the magnetostriction deformation of silicon steel and electromagnetic force between the core discs. So far, stress analysis on reactor cores was based on one-way coupled numerical method, which did not consider the influence of the stress on magnetic properties of the core material. Thus, multi-group magnetization and magnetostriction characteristics curves of silicon steel under different tensile stresses are measured firstly to support the computation. From the experiment results, it can be seen that magnetic properties of silicon steel change with stress. Then an electromagneto-mechanical two-way coupled numerical model for MCRs considering magnetostrictive effect and electromagnetic force effect is proposed. Stress distribution of MCR cores under the combination excitation of the sinusoidal wave current and different direct currents are calculated. From the computed results, it can be seen that a larger direct current has greater influence on MCRs vibration, which provides a theory basis for further analysis of vibration and noise reduction.

In this project several online methods were connected to a biogas pilot plant designed and built by Xergi A/S (Foulum, Denmark). The pilot plant was composed of two stainless steel tanks used as substrate storage and as digester, respectively. The total volume of the reactor tank was 300 L, the working volume 200 L and the headspace volume 100 L. The process temperature in the biogas reactor was maintained at 52 {+-} 0.5 deg. C during normal operating conditions. The biogas production was measured with a flow meter and a controller was used for automatic control of temperature, effluent removal, feeding and for data logging. A NIRS (near infrared spectrometer) was connected to a recurrent loop measuring on the slurry while a {mu}-GC (micro gas chromatograph) and a MIMS (membrane inlet mass spectrometer) enabled online measurements of the gas phase composition. During the project period three monitoring campaigns were accomplished. The loading rate of the biogas reactor was increased stepwise during the periods while the process was monitored. In the first two campaigns the load was increased by increasing the mass of organic material added to the reactor each day. However, this increasing amount changed the retention time in the reactor and in order to keep the retention time constant an increasing amount of inhibitor of the microbial process was instead added in the third campaign and as such maintaining a constant organic load mass added to the reactor. The effect is similar to an increase in process load, while keeping the load of organic material and hence retention time constant. Methods have been developed for the following online technologies and each technology has been evaluated with regard to future use as a tool for biogas process monitoring: 1) {mu}-GC was able to quantitative monitor important gas phase parameters in a reliable, fast and low-maintenance way. 2) MIMS was able to quantitative monitor gas phase composition in a reliable and fast manner

Nuclear reactorcontrol rods comprised of highly compressed and sintered finely divided metal alloy panticles and fine metal oxide panticles substantially uniformly distributed theretbrough are described. The metal alloy consists essentially of silver, indium, cadmium, tin, and aluminum, the amount of each being present in centain percentages by weight. The oxide particles are metal oxides of the metal alloy composition, the amount of oxygen being present in certain percentages by weight and all the oxygen present being substantially in the form of metal oxide. This control rod is characterized by its high strength and resistance to creep at elevated temperatures.

A magnetic amplifier includes a saturable core having a plurality of legs. Control windings wound around separate legs are spaced apart from each other and connected in series in an anti-symmetric relation. The control windings are configured in such a way that a biasing magnetic flux arising from a control current flowing through one of the plurality of control windings is substantially equal to the biasing magnetic flux flowing into a second of the plurality of control windings. The flow of the control current through each of the plurality of control windings changes the reactance of the saturable core reactor by driving those portions of the saturable core that convey the biasing magnetic flux in the saturable core into saturation. The phasing of the control winding limits a voltage induced in the plurality of control windings caused by a magnetic flux passing around a portion of the saturable core.

This patent relates to nuclear reactors of the type which use a liquid fuel, such as a solution of uranyl sulfate in ordinary water which acts as the moderator. The reactor is comprised of a spherical vessel having a diameter of about 12 inches substantially surrounded by a reflector of beryllium oxide. Conventionnl control rods and safety rods are operated in slots in the reflector outside the vessel to control the operation of the reactor. An additional means for increasing the safety factor of the reactor by raising the ratio of delayed neutrons to prompt neutrons, is provided and consists of a soluble sulfate salt of beryllium dissolved in the liquid fuel in the proper proportion to obtain the result desired.

Nowadays, mainly related to the increasing complexity of working environments, working activities become more and collective. The present research on the paradoxical nature of working teams, considered from a reliability point of view. This document is composed of four Sections. The first Section introduces the context of the research, its objectives and the underlying assumptions. In the second Section, we describe a working situation, which is the control of a nuclear reactor. Relations between cooperative work and reliability are discussed in the third Section. Finally, in the fourth Section, a synthesis of the research and some perspectives are proposed. (authors). 7 refs.

In this chapter, the engineering aspects of processes catalyzed by peroxidases will be presented. In particular, a discussion of the existing technologies that utilize peroxidases for different purposes, such as the removal of recalcitrant compounds or the synthesis of polymers, is analyzed. In the first section, the essential variables controlling the process will be investigated, not only those that are common in any enzymatic system but also those specific to peroxidative reactions. Next, different reactor configurations and operational modes will be proposed, emphasizing their suitability and unsuitability for different systems. Finally, two specific reactors will be described in detail: enzymatic membrane reactors and biphasic reactors. These configurations are especially valuable for the treatment of xenobiotics with high and poor water solubility, respectively.

In spite of their attraction for clean production of fuels and commodities; solar thermal reactors are challenged by the transient nature of solar energy. Control of reactor temperature during transient periods is the key factor to maintain solar reactor performance. Currently, there are few techniques that are being used to accommodate the fluctuations of incoming solar radiation. One of the commonly practiced methods is to adjust the mass flow rate of the feedstock which is very simple to i...

Full Text Available The absence of a stable operational state in polymerization reactors that operates in batches is factor that determine the need of a special control system. In this study, advanced control methodology is implemented for controlling the operation of a batch polymerization reactor for polystyrene production utilizingmodel predictive control. By utilizing a model of the polymerization process, the necessary operational conditions were determined for producing the polymer within the desired characteristics. The maincontrol objective is to bring the reactor temperature to its target temperature as rapidly as possible with minimal temperature overshoot. Control performance for the proposed method is encouraging. It has been observed that temperature overshoot can be minimized by the proposed method with the use of both reactor and jacket energy balance for reactor temperature control.

We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments. Short-baseline experiments have provided the measurement of the reactor neutrino spectrum, and their interest has been recently revived by the discovery of the reactor antineutrino anomaly, a discrepancy between the reactor neutrino flux state of the art prediction and the measurements at baselines shorter than one kilometer. Middle and long-baseline oscillation experiments at Daya Bay, Double Chooz, and RENO provided very ...

A boiling reactor having a reactivity which is reduced by an increase in the volume of vaporized coolant therein is described. In this system unvaporized liquid coolant is extracted from the reactor, heat is extracted therefrom, and it is returned to the reactor as sub-cooled liquid coolant. This reduces a portion of the coolant which includes vaporized coolant within the core assembly thereby enhancing the power output of the assembly and rendering the reactor substantially self-regulating. (AEC)

The main focus of this paper is to identify the most desirable ranges of impurity levels in the primary coolant to optimize component life in the primary circuit of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), which will either be a prismatic block or pebble bed reactor.

In the petrochemical industry, the synthesis of 2 ethyl-hexanol-oxo-alcohols (plasticizers alcohol) is of high importance, being achieved through hydrogenation of 2 ethyl-hexenal inside catalytic trickle bed three-phase reactors. For this type of processes the use of advanced control strategies is suitable due to their nonlinear behavior and extreme sensitivity to load changes and other disturbances. Due to the complexity of the mathematical model an approach was to use a simple linear model of the process in combination with an advanced control algorithm which takes into account the model uncertainties, the disturbances and command signal limitations like robust control. However the resulting controller is complex, involving cost effective hardware. This paper proposes a simple integer-order control scheme using a linear model of the process, based on active disturbance rejection method. By treating the model dynamics as a common disturbance and actively rejecting it, active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) can achieve the desired response. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The bench- scale EGSB (expanded granular sludge bed) reactor was operated to study the effect of sludge loading rate, pH value and nutrient element on the operation of the EGSB reactor and the control rule of these factors. Continuous flow was used to treat synthetic wastewater containing dextrose and beer, and the temperature of reactor was controlled at mesophiles temperature (33 ℃). The experimental results demonstrated trolled by adding sodium bicarbonate, the proper additive quantity was 1000-1200 mg/L; the additive quantity wastewater with 400-5000 mg/L COD concentration. The COD removal efficiency was over 85%. The operation of the EGSB reactor was steady and the EGSB reactor had strong anti-shock load ability.

Full Text Available Results of analysis and design and implementation of a temperature controlsystem for a practical pilot anaerobic digestion (AD bioreactor fed with dairywaste are presented. A dynamic model of the reactor temperature is used asthe basis for theoretical results, including simulations. Controller functionsinclude on-off control, proportional plus integral (PI control, andfeedforward control. Various PI controller tuning methods are compared. Theneed for adaptivity of PI settings is investigated. Results for asimulated full-scale reactor are given.

Many reaction examples were introduced of membrane reactor, to be on the point of forming a new region in the field of chemical technology. It is a reactor to exhibit excellent function, by its being installed with membrane therein, and is generally classified into catalyst function type and reaction promotion type. What firstly belongs to the former is stabilized zirconia, where oxygen, supplied to the cathodic side of membrane with voltage, impressed thereon, becomes O {sup 2 {minus}} to be diffused through the membrane and supplied, as variously activated oxygenous species, on the anodic side. Examples with many advantages can be given such as methane coupling, propylene oxidation, methanating reaction of carbon dioxide, etc. Apart, palladium film and naphion film also belong to the former. While examples of the latter comprise, among others, decomposition of hydrogen sulfide by porous glass film and dehydrogenation of cyclohexane or palladium alloy film, which are expected to be developed and materialized in the industry. 33 refs., 8 figs.

With the perspective of investigating a suitable control design for autotrophic nitrogen removal, this work presents a complete model of the SHARON/Anammox reactor sequence. The dynamics of the reactor were explored pointing out the different scales of the rates in the system: slow microbial...... metabolism against fast chemical reaction and mass transfer. Likewise, the analysis of the dynamics contributed to establish qualitatively the requirements for control of the reactors, both for regulation and for optimal operation. Work in progress on quantitatively analysing different control structure...

In this paper a control system for autothermal reforming reactor for diesel fuel is presented. Autothermal reforming reactors and the pertaining purification reactors are used to convert diesel fuel into hydrogen-rich reformate gas, which is then converted into electricity by the fuel cell. The purpose of the presented control system is to control the hydrogen production rate and the temperature of the autothermal reforming reactor. The system is designed in such a way that the two control loops do not interact, which is required for stable operation of the fuel cell. The presented control system is a part of the complete control system of the diesel fuel cell auxiliary power unit (APU).

Multifunctional reactors are single pieces of equipment in which, besides the reaction, other functions are carried out simultaneously. The other functions can be a heat, mass or momentum transfer operation and even another reaction. Multifunctional reactors are not new, but they have received much

The Reactor Physics and Department of SCK-CEN offers expertise in various areas of reactor physics, in particular in neutronics calculations, reactor dosimetry, reactor operation, reactor safety and control and non-destructive analysis on reactor fuel. This expertise is applied within the Reactor Physics and MYRRHA Research Department's own research projects in the VENUS critical facility, in the BR1 reactor and in the MYRRHA project (this project aims at designing a prototype Accelerator Driven System). Available expertise is also used in programmes external to the Department such as the reactor pressure steel vessel programme, the BR2 reactor dosimetry, and the preparation and interpretation of irradiation experiments. Progress and achievements in 1999 in the following areas are reported on: (1) investigations on the use of military plutonium in commercial power reactors; (2) neutron and gamma calculations performed for BR-2 and for other reactors; (3) the updating of neutron and gamma cross-section libraries; (4) the implementation of reactor codes; (6) the management of the UNIX workstations; and (6) fuel cycle studies.

A reactor vessel (1) comprises a reactor body (2) through which channels (3) are provided whose surface comprises longitudinal inwardly directed parts (4) and is provided with a catalyst (6), as well as buffer bodies (8, 12) connected to the channels (3) on both sides of the reactor body (2) and comprising connections for supplying (9, 10, 11) and discharging (13, 14, 15) via the channels (3) gases and/or liquids entering into a reaction with each other and substances formed upon this reactio...

Describes a course, including content, reading list, and presentation on chemical reactors at Cambridge University, England. A brief comparison of chemical engineering education between the United States and England is also given. (JN)

Full Text Available We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments. Short-baseline experiments have provided the measurement of the reactor neutrino spectrum, and their interest has been recently revived by the discovery of the reactor antineutrino anomaly, a discrepancy between the reactor neutrino flux state of the art prediction and the measurements at baselines shorter than one kilometer. Middle and long-baseline oscillation experiments at Daya Bay, Double Chooz, and RENO provided very recently the most precise determination of the neutrino mixing angle θ13. This paper provides an overview of the upcoming experiments and of the projects under development, including the determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy and the possible use of neutrinos for society, for nonproliferation of nuclear materials, and geophysics.

We review the status and the results of reactor neutrino experiments, that toe the cutting edge of neutrino research. Short baseline experiments have provided the measurement of the reactor neutrino spectrum, and are still searching for important phenomena such as the neutrino magnetic moment. They could open the door to the measurement of coherent neutrino scattering in a near future. Middle and long baseline oscillation experiments at Chooz and KamLAND have played a relevant role in neutrin...

At the present time the BR-2 reactor uses control elements with cadmium as neutron absorbing part. The lower section of the control element is a beryllium assembly cooled by light water. Due to the burn up of the lower end of the cadmium section during the reactor operation, the presently used rods for reactivity control of the BR-2 reactor have to be replaced by new ones. Considered are various types Control Rods with full active part of the following materials: cadmium (Cd), hafnium (Hf), europium oxide (Eu2O3) and gadolinium (Gd2O3). Options to decrease the burn up of the control rod material in the hot spot, such as use of stainless steel in the lower active part of the Control Rod are discussed. Comparison with the characteristics of the presently used Control Rods types is performed. The changing of the characteristics of different types Control Rods and the perturbation effects on the reactor neutronics during the BR-2 fuel cycle are investigated. The burn up of the Control Rod absorbing material, total and differential control rods worth, macroscopic and effective microscopic absorption cross sections, fuel and reactivity evolution are evaluated during approximately 30 operating cycles.

Full Text Available This paper is focused on the modelling and dynamic analysis of a nonlinear system representing a control assembly of the VVER 440/V213 nuclear reactor. A simple rigid body model intended for basic dynamic analyses is introduced. It contains the influences of the pressurized water and mainly the eects of possible control assembly contacts with guiding tubes inside the reactor. Another approach based on a complex multibody model is further described and the suitability of both modelling approaches is discussed.

Full Text Available This paper presents a model of dynamics control for continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR in methanol synthesis in a three-phase system. The reactor simulation was carried out for steady and transient state. Efficiency ratio to achieve maximum performance of the product per reactor unit volume was calculated. Reactor dynamics simulation in closed loop allowed to received data for tuning PID controller (proportional-integral-derivative. The results of the regulation process allow to receive data for optimum reactor production capacity, along with local hot spots eliminations or temperature runaway.

This control rod drive is developed for HTR-10 high temperature gas cooled test reactor.The stepmotor is prefered to improve positioning of the control rod and the scram behavior.The preliminary test in 1600170 ambient temperature shows that the selected stepmotor and transmission system can meet the main operation function requirements of HTR-10.

A system and method for temperature control in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor is provided. The system and method involves introducing a specific quantity of cooling air or trim air in between stages in a multistage oxygen transport membrane based reactor or furnace to maintain generally consistent surface temperatures of the oxygen transport membrane elements and associated reactors. The associated reactors may include reforming reactors, boilers or process gas heaters.

A system and method for air temperature control in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor is provided. The system and method involves introducing a specific quantity of cooling air or trim air in between stages in a multistage oxygen transport membrane based reactor or furnace to maintain generally consistent surface temperatures of the oxygen transport membrane elements and associated reactors. The associated reactors may include reforming reactors, boilers or process gas heaters.

PWR electric power companies and makers are promoting a high burn-up program for nuclear fuel aiming at reducing spent fuel. PCI tolerance performance of fuel clad is desirable to promote a high burnup program. It is clear that when we change the direction of a Zircaloy crystal structure by improving a manufacture process (texture control), PCI tolerance performance greatly improved. In this study, an improved clad was burnt in a R2 reactor to 61.5 GWd/t and a power ramp test was carried out in Sweden. Based on irradiation data, power ramp test data and post irradiation examination data, improvement of PCI tolerance performance was confirmed. (author)

The purpose of this paper is twofold. Primarily to describe the dynamic behaviour that can be observed in a fixed bed reactor with recycle of unconverted reactant. Secondly to describe the possibilities of model reduction in order to facilitate control design. Reactant recycle has been shown...... to introduce periodic solution to the fixed bed reactor, a phenomenon which is not seen for the system without the recycle, at least not within the Peclet number range investigated in the present work. The possibility of model reduction by the methods of modal decomposition, and by characteristics...

The paper presents a method to derive an optimal parametric sensitivity controller for optimal estimation of a set of parameters in an experiment. The method is demonstrated for a fed batch bio-reactor case study for optimal estimation of the saturation constant Ks and, albeit intuitively, the param

This paper considers a model for small, unmanned, remotely located reactors and discusses the ensuing cyber security and operational challenges for monitoring and control and how these challenges might be overcome through some of AECL's research initiatives and experience. (author)

Improved spherules for making enhanced forms of nuclear-reactor fuels are prepared by internal gelation procedures within a sol-gel operation and are accomplished by first boiling the concentrated HMTA-urea feed solution before engaging in the spherule-forming operation thereby effectively controlling crystallite size in the product spherules.

Reactor TRIGA PUSPATI (RTP) Mark II type undergoes safe operation for more than 30 years and the only research reactor exists in Malaysia. The main safety feature of Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system design is such that any failure in the electronic, or its associated components, does not lead to an uncontrolled rate of reactivity. The existed controller using feedback approach to control the reactor power. This paper introduces proposed controllers such as Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) and Proportional Integral Derivatives (PID) controller for the RTP simulation. In RTP, the most important considered parameter is the reactor power and act as nervous system. To design a controller for complex plant like RTP is quite difficult due to high cost and safety factors cause by the failure of the controller. Furthermore, to overcome these problems, a simulator can be used to replace functions the hardware and test could then be simulated using this simulator. In order to find the best controller, several controllers were proposed and the result will be analysed for study the performances of the controller. The output result will be used to find out the best RTP power controller using MATLAB/Simulink and gives result as close as the real RTP performances. Currently, the structures of RTP was design using MATLAB/Simulink tool that consist of fission chamber, controller, control rod position, height-to-worth of control rods and a RTP model. The controller will control the control rod position to make sure that the reactivity still under the limitation parameter. The results given from each controller will be analysed and validated through experiment data collected from RTP.

A bioconversion reactor for the anaerobic fermentation of organic material. The bioconversion reactor comprises a shell enclosing a predetermined volume, an inlet port through which a liquid stream containing organic materials enters the shell, and an outlet port through which the stream exits the shell. A series of vertical and spaced-apart baffles are positioned within the shell to force the stream to flow under and over them as it passes from the inlet to the outlet port. The baffles present a barrier to the microorganisms within the shell causing them to rise and fall within the reactor but to move horizontally at a very slow rate. Treatment detention times of one day or less are possible.

Sonochemical reactors are based on the generation of cavitational events using ultrasound and offer immense potential for the intensification of physical and chemical processing applications. The present work presents a critical analysis of the underlying mechanisms for intensification, available reactor configurations and overview of the different applications exploited successfully, though mostly at laboratory scales. Guidelines have also been presented for optimum selection of the important operating parameters (frequency and intensity of irradiation, temperature and liquid physicochemical properties) as well as the geometric parameters (type of reactor configuration and the number/position of the transducers) so as to maximize the process intensification benefits. The key areas for future work so as to transform the successful technique at laboratory/pilot scale into commercial technology have also been discussed. Overall, it has been established that there is immense potential for sonochemical reactors for process intensification leading to greener processing and economic benefits. Combined efforts from a wide range of disciplines such as material science, physics, chemistry and chemical engineers are required to harness the benefits at commercial scale operation.

Biodiesel, an alternative diesel fuel made from a renewable source, is produced by the transesterification of vegetable oil or fat with methanol or ethanol. In order to control and monitor the progress of this chemical reaction with complex and highly nonlinear dynamics, the controller must be able to overcome the challenges due to the difficulty in obtaining a mathematical model, as there are many uncertain factors and disturbances during the actual operation of biodiesel reactors. Classical controllers show significant difficulties when trying to control the system automatically. In this paper we propose a comparison of artificial intelligent controllers, Fuzzy logic and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System(ANFIS) for real time control of a novel advanced biodiesel microwave reactor for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. Fuzzy logic can incorporate expert human judgment to define the system variables and their relationships which cannot be defined by mathematical relationships. The Neuro-fuzzy system consists of components of a fuzzy system except that computations at each stage are performed by a layer of hidden neurons and the neural network's learning capability is provided to enhance the system knowledge. The controllers are used to automatically and continuously adjust the applied power supplied to the microwave reactor under different perturbations. A Labview based software tool will be presented that is used for measurement and control of the full system, with real time monitoring.

Biodiesel, an alternative diesel fuel made from a renewable source, is produced by the transesterification of vegetable oil or fat with methanol or ethanol. In order to control and monitor the progress of this chemical reaction with complex and highly nonlinear dynamics, the controller must be able to overcome the challenges due to the difficulty in obtaining a mathematical model, as there are many uncertain factors and disturbances during the actual operation of biodiesel reactors. Classical controllers show significant difficulties when trying to control the system automatically. In this paper we propose a comparison of artificial intelligent controllers, Fuzzy logic and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System(ANFIS) for real time control of a novel advanced biodiesel microwave reactor for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. Fuzzy logic can incorporate expert human judgment to define the system variables and their relationships which cannot be defined by mathematical relationships. The Neuro-fuzzy system consists of components of a fuzzy system except that computations at each stage are performed by a layer of hidden neurons and the neural network's learning capability is provided to enhance the system knowledge. The controllers are used to automatically and continuously adjust the applied power supplied to the microwave reactor under different perturbations. A Labview based software tool will be presented that is used for measurement and control of the full system, with real time monitoring.

The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is a research-type nuclear reactor that was designed and built in the early 1960s and has been in continuous operation since its initial criticality in 1965. Under current plans, the HFIR is expected to continue in operation until 2035. This report updates ORNL/TM-9365, Fabrication Procedure for HFIR Control Plates, which was mainly prepared in the early 1970's but was not issued until 1984, and reflects process changes, lessons learned in the latest control rod fabrication campaign, and suggested process improvements to be considered in future campaigns. Most of the personnel involved with the initial development of the processes and in part campaigns have retired or will retire soon. Because their unlikely availability in future campaigns, emphasis has been placed on providing some explanation of why the processes were selected and some discussions about the importance of controlling critical process parameters. Contained in this report is a description of the function of control rods in the reactor, the brief history of the development of control rod fabrication processes, and a description of procedures used in the fabrication of control rods. A listing of the controlled documents and procedures used in the last fabrication campaigns is referenced in Appendix A.

The RENO experiment has been in operation since August 2011 to measure reactor antineutrino disappearance using identical near and far detectors. For accurate measurements of neutrino mixing parameters and efficient data taking, it is crucial to monitor and control the detector in real time. Environmental conditions also need to be monitored for stable operation of detectors as well as for safety reasons. In this paper, we report the design, hardware, operation, and performance of the slow control system.

Full Text Available Continues Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR is an important issue in chemical process and a wide range of research in the area of chemical engineering. Temperature Control of CSTR has been an issue in the chemical control engineering since it has highly non-linear complex equations. This study presents problem of temperature control of CSTR with the adaptive Controller. The Simulation is done in MATLAB and result shows that adaptive controller is an efficient controller for temperature control of CSTR than PID controller.

Full Text Available The objective of the project is to design various controllers for temperature control in Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR systems. Initially Zeigler-Nichols, modified Zeigler-Nichols, Tyreus-Luyben, Shen-Yu and IMC based method of tuned Proportional Integral (PI controller is designed and comparisons are made with Fuzzy Logic Controller. Simulations are carried out and responses are obtained for the above controllers. Maximum peak overshoot, Settling time, Rise time, ISE, IAE are chosen as performance index. From the analysis it is found that the Fuzzy Logic Controller is a promising controller than the conventional controllers.

Experiments were conducted at the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) to increase the fidelity of the control rod integral reactivity worth curve. This experiment series was designed to refine the integral reactivity curve used for pulse yield prediction and eliminate the need for operator compensation in the pulse setup. The experiment series consisted of delayed critical and positive period measurements with various ACRR cavity configurations. An improved integral reactivity worth curve for the ACRR control rods has been constructed using the positive period measurements, the delayed critical measurements, and radiation transport modeling of the reactor. A series of prompt period measurements is used to validate that the new control rod curve more accurately predicts the energy yield of the pulse operations. The new reactivity worth curve is compared with the current curve that was developed using traditional approaches.

Recently the use of hafnium as neutron absorber material in nuclear reactors has been reason of investigation by virtue of that this material has nuclear properties as to the neutrons absorption and structural that can prolong the useful life of the control mechanisms of the nuclear reactors. In this work some of those more significant hafnium properties are presented like nuclear material. Also there are presented calculations carried out with the HELIOS code for fuel cells of uranium oxide and of uranium and plutonium mixed oxides under controlled conditions with conventional bars of boron carbide and also with similar bars to which are substituted the absorbent material by metallic hafnium, the results are presented in this work. (Author)

One of the control techniques that could replace the present conventional PID controllers in nuclear plants is the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method. The most attractive feature of the LQR method is that it can provide the systematic environments for the control design. However, the LQR approach heavily depends on the selection of cost function and the determination of the suitable weighting matrices of cost function is not an easy task, particularly when the system order is high. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient and reliable algorithm that could optimize the weighting matrices of the LQR system

In this paper, the new Reactivity Trace Curve (RTC) method (Ratemi 1993,1994), which is based on the dynamic period studies (Bernard et al.,1984), has been studied for maneuvering of the nuclear reactor power without power shooting. The reactor is modeled with one group of delayed neutrons with temperature feedback effect, as well as, Xenon feedback effect. A precursors concentration model is used to provide for the effective dynamic decay constant (in one group case, it is a static one). The RTC-identifier which is given by a differential equation is then solved at each sampling time (for one group, it has an analytical solution). Its solution is what is called the Reactivity Trace Curve which keeps the power steady at the desired power. An inverse kinetic model which uses the on-line power data for reactivity calculation is used to provide initial condition (initial reactivity) for the RTC- power controller. Also feedback model are needed to evaluate both the temperature and Xenon reactivities which when subtracted from the RTC-value, one then can determine the reactivity required to keep the reactor power steady without power shooting. (authors)

The thermal expansion of the control rod drivelines (CRDL) is one important passive mitigator under all unprotected accident conditions in the metal and oxide cores. When the CRDL are washed by hot sodium in the coolant outlet plenum, the CRDL thermally expands and causes the control rods to be inserted further down into the active core region, providing a negative reactivity feedback. Since the control rods are attached to the top of the vessel head and the core attaches to the bottom of the reactor vessel (RV), the expansion of the vessel wall as it heats will either lower the core or raise the control rods supports. This contrary thermal expansion of the reactor vessel wall pulls the control rods out of the core somewhat, providing a positive reactivity feedback. However this is not a safety factor early in a transient because its time constant is relatively large. The total elongated length is calculated by subtracting the vessel expansion from the CRDL expansion to determine the net control rod expansion into the core. The system-wide safety analysis code SSC-K includes the CRDL/RV reactivity feedback model in which control rod and vessel expansions are calculated using single-nod temperatures for the vessel and CRDL masses. The KALIMER design has the upper internal structures (UIS) in which the CRDLs are positioned outside the structure where they are exposed to the mixed sodium temperature exiting the core. A new method to determine the CRDL expansion is suggested. Two dimensional hot pool thermal hydraulic model (HP2D) originally developed for the analysis of the stratification phenomena in the hot pool is utilized for a detailed heat transfer between the CRDL mass and the hot pool coolant. However, the reactor vessel wall temperature is still calculated by a simple lumped model.

This book focuses on core design and methods for design and analysis. It is based on advances made in nuclear power utilization and computational methods over the past 40 years, covering core design of boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors, as well as fast reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. The objectives of this book are to help graduate and advanced undergraduate students to understand core design and analysis, and to serve as a background reference for engineers actively working in light water reactors. Methodologies for core design and analysis, together with physical descriptions, are emphasized. The book also covers coupled thermal hydraulic core calculations, plant dynamics, and safety analysis, allowing readers to understand core design in relation to plant control and safety.

When modeling the behavior of a nuclear reactor over time, it is important to understand how the isotopes in the reactor will change, or transmute, over that time. This is especially important in the reactor fuel itself. Many nuclear physics modeling codes model how particles interact in the system, but do not model this over time. Thus, another code is used in conjunction with the nuclear physics code to accomplish this. In our code, Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) codes and the Multi Reactor Transmutation Analysis Utility (MRTAU) were chosen as the codes to use. In this way, MCNP would produce the reaction rates in the different isotopes present and MRTAU would use cross sections generated from these reaction rates to determine how the mass of each isotope is lost or gained. Between these two codes, the information must be altered and edited for use. For this, a Python 2.7 script was developed to aid the user in getting the information in the correct forms. This newly developed methodology was called the Coupled Reactor Depletion Instrument with Automated Controls (CRDIAC). As is the case in any newly developed methodology for modeling of physical phenomena, CRDIAC needed to be verified against similar methodology and validated against data taken from an experiment, in our case AFIP-3. AFIP-3 was a reduced enrichment plate type fuel tested in the ATR. We verified our methodology against the MCNP Coupled with ORIGEN2 (MCWO) method and validated our work against the Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) data. When compared to MCWO, the difference in concentration of U-235 throughout Cycle 144A was about 1%. When compared to the PIE data, the average bias for end of life U-235 concentration was about 2%. These results from CRDIAC therefore agree with the MCWO and PIE data, validating and verifying CRDIAC. CRDIAC provides an alternative to using ORIGEN-based methodology, which is useful because CRDIAC's depletion code, MRTAU, uses every available isotope in its

A hybrid adsorbent-membrane reactor in which the chemical reaction, membrane separation, and product adsorption are coupled. Also disclosed are a dual-reactor apparatus and a process using the reactor or the apparatus.

A hybrid adsorbent-membrane reactor in which the chemical reaction, membrane separation, and product adsorption are coupled. Also disclosed are a dual-reactor apparatus and a process using the reactor or the apparatus.

Air pollution control (APC) residue from municipal solid waste incineration is considered hazardous waste due to its alkalinity and high content of salts and mobile heavy metals. Various solutions for the handling of APC-residue exist, however most commercial solutions involve landfilling. A demand...... were made with raw residue, water-washed residue, acid washed residue and acid-treated residue with emphasis on reduction of heavy metal mobility. Main results indicate that the reactor successfully removes toxic elements lead, copper, cadmium and zinc from the feed stream, suggesting...

Nuclear reactors are generally modeled as homogeneous mixtures of fuel, control, and other materials while in reality they are heterogeneous-homogeneous configurations comprised of fuel and control rods along with other materials. Similarly, for space-time studies of a nuclear reactor, homogeneous, usually one-group diffusion theory, models are used, and the system equations are solved by either nodal or modal expansion approximations. Study of xenon-induced problems has also been carried out using similar models and with the help of dynamic programming or classical calculus of variations or the minimum principle. In this study a thermal nuclear reactor is modeled as a two-dimensional lattice of fuel and control rods placed in an infinite-moderator in plane geometry. The two-group diffusion theory approximation is used for neutron transport. Space -time neutron balance equations are written for two groups and reduced to one space-time algebraic equation by using the two-dimensional Fourier transform. This equation is written at all fuel and control rod locations. Iodine -xenon and promethium-samarium dynamic equations are also written at fuel rod locations only. These equations are then linearized about an equilibrium point which is determined from the steady-state form of the original nonlinear system equations. After studying poisonless criticality, with and without control, and the stability of the open-loop system and after checking its controllability, a performance criterion is defined for the xenon-induced spatial flux oscillation problem in the form of a functional to be minimized. Linear -quadratic optimal control theory is then applied to solve the problem. To perform a variety of different additional useful studies, this formulation has potential for various extensions and variations; for example, different geometry of the problem, with possible extension to three dimensions, heterogeneous -homogeneous formulation to include, for example, homogeneously

A nuclear reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel and a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile material disposed in a lower portion of the reactor pressure vessel. The lower portion of the reactor pressure vessel is disposed in a reactor cavity. An annular neutron stop is located at an elevation above the uppermost elevation of the nuclear reactor core. The annular neutron stop comprises neutron absorbing material filling an annular gap between the reactor pressure vessel and the wall of the reactor cavity. The annular neutron stop may comprise an outer neutron stop ring attached to the wall of the reactor cavity, and an inner neutron stop ring attached to the reactor pressure vessel. An excore instrument guide tube penetrates through the annular neutron stop, and a neutron plug comprising neutron absorbing material is disposed in the tube at the penetration through the neutron stop.

A nuclear reactor having a flattened reactor activity curve across the reactor includes fuel extending over a lesser portion of the fuel channels in the central portion of the reactor than in the remainder of the reactor.

The H{sub {infinity}} robust controller for the reactor power control system is designed by use of the mixed weight sensitivity. The system is configured into the typical two-port model with which the weight functions are augmented. Since the solution depends on the weighting functions and the problem is of nonconvex, the genetic algorithm is used to determine the weighting functions. The cost function applied in the genetic algorithm permits the direct control of the power tracking performances. In addition, the actual operating constraints such as rod velocity and acceleration can be treated as design parameters. Compared with the conventional approach, the controller designed by the genetic algorithm results in the better performances with the realistic constraints. Also, it is found that the genetic algorithm could be used as an effective tool in the robust design. 4 refs., 6 figs. (Author)

The actinide precipitation reactors in the nuclear materials processing facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory are used to remove actinides and other heavy metals from the effluent streams generated during the purification of plutonium. These effluent streams consist of hydrochloric acid solutions, ranging from one to five molar in concentration, in which actinides and other metals are dissolved. The actinides present are plutonium and americium. Typical actinide loadings range from one to five grams per liter. The most prevalent heavy metals are iron, chromium, and nickel that are due to stainless steel. Removal of these metals from solution is accomplished by hydroxide precipitation during the neutralization of the effluent. An end point control algorithm for the semi-batch actinide precipitation reactors at Los Alamos National Laboratory is described. The algorithm is based on an equilibrium solubility model of the chemical species in solution. This model is used to predict the amount of base hydroxide necessary to reach the end point of the actinide precipitation reaction. The model parameters are updated by on-line pH measurements.

Within the framework of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP), the US Department of Energy (DOE) has sponsored the development of a conceptual design of a large Spectral Shift ControlledReactor (SSCR). This report describes the results of the development program and assesses the performance of the conceptual SSCR on the basis of fuel resource utilization and total power costs. The point of departure of the design study was a 1270 MW(e) PWR using Combustion Engineering's System 80/sup TM/ reactor and Stone and Webster's Reference Plant Design. The initial phase of the study consisted of establishing an optimal core design for both the once-through uranium cycle and the denatured U-235/thorium cycle with uranium recycle. The performance of the SSCR was then also assessed for the denatured U-233/thorium cycle with uranium recycle and for the plutonium/thorium cycle with plutonium recycle. After the optimal core design was established, the design of the NSSS and balance of plant was developed.

Control system is most important characteristic to be considered to control spontaneous fission reaction in the design of the nuclear reactor. Recently fuzzy based control systems have been designed and applied as control system for nuclear plants. This article emphasize on controlling the power of the high temperature pebble bed reactor (HTPBR) with the design of Fuzzy proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. A simplified reactor model with point kinetics equation and reactor heat balance equation is used. The reactivity feedback arising from power coefficient of reactivity and Xenon poisoning is also considered. The reactor is operated at various power levels by using fuzzy PID controller. The fuzzy logic eliminates the necessity of the tuning the gains of PID controller each time by extending the finite sets of the PID controller gains.

Serious corrosion problems have plagued the light water reactor (LWR) industry for decades. The complex corrosion mechanisms involved and the development of practical engineering solutions for their mitigation will be discussed in this article. After a brief overview of the basic designs of the boiling water reactor (BWR) and pressurized water reactor (PWR), emphasis will be placed on the general corrosion of LWR containments, flow-accelerated corrosion of carbon steel components, intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) in BWRs, primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) in PWRs, and irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in both systems. Finally, the corrosion future of both plants will be discussed as plants extend their period of operation for an additional 20 to 40 years.

Full Text Available In this paper a dynamic behavior and control of a jacketed continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR is developed using different control strategies, conventional feedback control (PI and PID, and neural network (NARMA-L2, and NN Predictive control. The dynamic model for CSTR process is described by a first order lag system with dead time.The optimum tuning of control parameters are found by two different methods; Frequency Analysis Curve method (Bode diagram and Process Reaction Curve using the mean of Square Error (MSE method. It is found that the Process Reaction Curve method is better than the Frequency Analysis Curve method and PID feedback controller is better than PI feedback controller. The results show that the artificial neural network is the best method to control the CSTR process and it is better than the conventional method because it has smaller value of mean square error (MSE. MATLAB program is used as a tool of solution for all cases used in the present work.

Robot technique is need to decommission nuclear reactor because of high radiation environment. Especially, Manipulator systems are useful for dismantling complex structure in a nuclear facility. In addition, Hydraulic system is applied to handle heavy duty object. Since hydraulic system can demonstrate high power. The manipulator with hydraulic power is already developed. To solve this problem, various nonlinear control method includes acceleration control. But, it is difficult because acceleration value is highly noisy. In this paper, the nonlinear control algorithm without acceleration control is studied. To verify, the hydraulic manipulator model had been developed. Furthermore, the numerical simulation is carried out. The nonlinear control without acceleration parameter method is developed for hydraulic manipulator. To verify control algorithm, the manipulator is modeled by MBD and the hydraulic servo system is also derived. In addition, the numerical simulation is also carried out. Especially, PID gain is determined though TDC algorithm. In the result of numerical simulation, tracking performance is good without acceleration control. Thus, the PID though TDC with SMC is good for hydraulic manipulator control.

A reactor core is divided into a plurality of coolants flowrate regions, and electromagnetic pumps exclusively used for each of the flowrate regions are disposed to distribute coolants flowrates in the reactor core. Further, the flowrate of each of the electromagnetic pumps is automatically controlled depending on signals from a temperature detector disposed at the exit of the reactor core, so that the flowrate of the region can be controlled optimally depending on the burning of reactor core fuels. Then, the electromagnetic pumps disposed for every divided region are controlled respectively, so that the coolants flowrate distribution suitable to each of the regions can be attained. Margin for fuel design is decreased, fuels are used effectively, as well as an operation efficiency can be improved. Moreover, since the electromagnetic pump has less flow resistance compared with a mechanical type pump, and flow resistance of the reactor core flowrate control mechanism is eliminated, greater circulating flowrate can be ensured after occurrence of accident in a natural convection using a buoyancy of coolants utilizable for after-heat removal as a driving force. (N.H.).

For efficient utilization of research reactors, such as TRIGA Mark II reactor in Ljubljana, it is important to know neutron flux distribution in the reactor as accurately as possible. The focus of this study is on the neutron flux redistributions due to control rod movements. For analyzing neutron flux redistributions, Monte Carlo calculations of fission rate distributions with the JSI TRIGA reactor model at different control rod configurations have been performed. Sensitivity of the detector response due to control rod movement have been studied. Optimal radial and axial positions of the detector have been determined. Measurements of the axial neutron flux distribution using the CEA manufactured fission chambers have been performed. The experiments at different control rod positions were conducted and compared with the MCNP calculations for a fixed detector axial position. In the future, simultaneous on-line measurements with multiple fission chambers will be performed inside the reactor core for a more accurate on-line power monitoring system.

Full Text Available One of the main issues in safety and control systems design of power and research reactors is to prevent accidents or reduce the imposed hazard. Control rod worth plays an important role in safety and control of reactors. In this paper, we developed a justifiable approach called D4D4 to estimate the control rod worth of a VVER-1000 reactor that enables to perform the best estimate analysis and reduce the conservatism that utilize DRAGON4 and DONJON4. The results are compared with WIMS-D4/CITATION to show the effectiveness and superiority of the developed package in predicting reactivity worth of the rod and also other reactor physics parameters of the VVER-1000 reactor. The results of this study are in good agreement with the plant's FSAR.

Recently newly-developed nuclear reactors with increased safety and enhanced performance by developed countries in the nuclear area are competing in the global nuclear market. Several reactors, for example AP600 and AP1000 by Westinghouse Electric Co. in USA, EPR by Areva in Europe, APWR by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry in Japan in the pressurized power reactor, are competing to preoccupy the nuclear market during Nuclear Renaissance. Dedicated control element drive mechanism with enhanced performance and increased safety are developed for these new reactors. And load follow capability is required, and it is estimated that load follow requirement make design requirement of a control element drive mechanism harsh. It is necessary to review the current technical state of a control element drive mechanism. This work is aimed to review the design characteristics of a past and current control element drive mechanism for a nuclear reactor and to check the direction and goal of CEDM design development recently.

Particle mixing and segregation have been studied in a small-scale fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) under pressure. The solids mixing is relatively faster than the residence time of catalyst particles in the case of a polymerization process, but smaller particles accumulate in the upper zone. Semibatch p

This technical report was generated as a product of the Supervisory Control for Multi-Modular SMR Plants project within the Instrumentation, Control and Human-Machine Interface technology area under the Advanced Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Research and Development Program of the U.S. Department of Energy. The report documents the definition of strategies, functional elements, and the structural architecture of a supervisory control system for multi-modular advanced SMR (AdvSMR) plants. This research activity advances the state-of-the art by incorporating decision making into the supervisory control system architectural layers through the introduction of a tiered-plant system approach. The report provides a brief history of hierarchical functional architectures and the current state-of-the-art, describes a reference AdvSMR to show the dependencies between systems, presents a hierarchical structure for supervisory control, indicates the importance of understanding trip setpoints, applies a new theoretic approach for comparing architectures, identifies cyber security controls that should be addressed early in system design, and describes ongoing work to develop system requirements and hardware/software configurations.

The paper gives results of a study to develop baseline engineering data to demonstrate the feasibility of application of plasma reactors to the destruction of various volatile organic compounds at ppm levels. Two laboratory-scale reactors, an alternating current energized ferroel...

Full Text Available This paper deals with the simulation of Thyristor controlledreactor (TCR and GTO Controlled Series Capacitor (GCSC, equipment for controlled series compensation of transmission systems. The paper alsopresents experimental results of a TCR and GCSC connected to a single-phase system. The experiments are carried out in the FACTS lab of electrical engineering department. The TCR system is simulated using MATLAB and the simulation results are presented. The power and control circuits are simulated. The current drawn by the TCR varies with the variation in the firing angle. Stepped variation of current can be obtained using thyristor switched reactor. The simulation results are compared with the theoretical and practical results.Harmonics and its impact on the system are presented. This paper also presents the GCSC, its main components, principal of operation, typical waveforms and main applications. Duality of the GCSC with the well known thyristor controlledreactor is also discussed in this paper.

The safe and reliable utilization of research reactor demands the possible accurate information of control rod (CR) worths. The criticality positions of the control rods changes with time due to build up fission products. It is therefore important to determine the reactivity worth of control rods. The aim of this article is to estimate the reactivity worth of controls rods in the equilibrium core of a Materials Testing Reactor (MTR). A deterministic model of the reactor core was developed and confirmed against the reference results of excess reactivity, shutdown margin and combined control rod reactivity worth using the combination of WIMS/D4 and CITATION computer codes.

A reactor vessel for reacting a solid particulate with a liquid reactant has a centrifugal pump in circulatory flow communication with the reactor vessel for providing particulate attrition, resulting in additional fresh surface where the reaction can occur.

A high-throughput parallel reactor system has been designed and constructed to improve the reliability of results from large diameter catalysts such as monoliths. The system, which is expandable, consists of eight quartz reactors, 23.5 mm in diameter. The eight reactors were designed with separate K type thermocouples and radiant heaters, allowing for the independent measurement and control of each reactor temperature. This design gives steady state temperature distributions over the eight reactors within 0.5 degrees C of a common setpoint from 50 to 700 degrees C. Analysis of the effluent from these reactors is performed using rapid-scan Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging. The integration of this technique to the reactor system allows a chemically specific, truly parallel analysis of the reactor effluents with a time resolution of approximately 8 s. The capabilities of this system were demonstrated via investigation of catalyst preparation conditions on the direct epoxidation of ethylene, i.e., on the ethylene conversion and the ethylene oxide selectivity. The ethylene, ethylene oxide, and carbon dioxide concentrations were calibrated based on spectra from FTIR imaging using univariate and multivariate chemometric techniques. The results from this analysis showed that the calcination conditions significantly affect the ethylene conversion, with a threefold increase in the conversion when the catalyst was calcined for 3 h versus 12 h at 400 degrees C.

3.1 Annual Report of SPR Operation Chu Shaochu Having overseen by National Nuclear Safety Administration and specialists, the reactor restarted up successfully after Safety renovation on April 16, 1996. In August 1996 the normal operation of SPR was approved by the authorities of Naitonal Nuclear Safety Administration. 1 Operation status In 1996, the reactor operated safely for 40 d and the energy released was about 137.3 MW·d. The operation status of SPR is shown in table 1. The reactor started up to higher power (power more than 1 MW) and lower power (for physics experiments) 4 times and 14 times respectively. Measurement of control rod efficiency and other measurement tasks were 2 times and 5 times respectively.

A reactor container of the present invention has a structure that the reactor container is entirely at the same temperature as that at the inlet of the reactor and, a hot pool is incorporated therein, and the reactor container has is entirely at the same temperature and has substantially uniform temperature follow-up property transiently. Namely, if the temperature at the inlet of the reactor core changes, the temperature of the entire reactor container changes following this change, but no great temperature gradient is caused in the axial direction and no great heat stresses due to axial temperature distribution is caused. Occurrence of thermal stresses caused by the axial temperature distribution can be suppressed to improve the reliability of the reactor container. In addition, since the laying of the reactor inlet pipelines over the inside of the reactor is eliminated, the reactor container is made compact and the heat shielding structures above the reactor and a protection structure of container walls are simplified. Further, secondary coolants are filled to the outside of the reactor container to simplify the shieldings. The combined effects described above can improve economical property and reliability. (N.H.).

Bioreactor landfills allow a more active landfill management that recognizes the biological, chemical and physical processes involved in a landfill environment. The results of laboratory-scale simulators of landfill reactors treating municipal solid wastes were studied, the effect of solid waste size, leachate recirculation, nutrient balance, pH value, moisture content and temperature on the rate of municipal solid waste(MSW) biodegradation were determined, and it indicated the optimum pH value, moisture content and temperature can used to decompose MSW. The results of waste biodegradation were compared with that of the simulators of the leachate-recirculated landfill and conservative sanitary landfill. In the control experiment the antitheses of a decreasing trend of the organic load, measured as biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand, was shown, and heavy metals concentration was observed. An obvious enhancement of effective disposal from simulator of conservative sanitary landfill(CSL), to that of leachate-recirculated landfill(LRL) and to that of conditioned bioreactor landfill(CBL) would be noted, through displaying the compared results of solid waste settlement, heavy metal concentration in leachate, methane production rate, biogas composition, BOD and COD as well as their ratio.

On December 2, 1942, in a racquet court underneath the West Stands of Stagg Field at the University of Chicago, a team of scientists led by Enrico Fermi created the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. This updated and revised story of the first reactor (or "pile") is based on postwar interviews (as told to Corbin…

A two-phase dynamic model, describing gas phase propylene polymerization in a fluidized bed reactor, was used to explore the dynamic behavior and process control of the polypropylene production rate and reactor temperature. The open loop analysis revealed the nonlinear behavior of the polypropylene fluidized bed reactor, jus-tifying the use of an advanced control algorithm for efficient control of the process variables. In this case, a central-ized model predictive control (MPC) technique was implemented to control the polypropylene production rate and reactor temperature by manipulating the catalyst feed rate and cooling water flow rate respectively. The corre-sponding MPC controller was able to track changes in the setpoint smoothly for the reactor temperature and pro-duction rate while the setpoint tracking of the conventional proportional-integral (PI) controller was oscillatory with overshoots and obvious interaction between the reactor temperature and production rate loops. The MPC was able to produce controller moves which not only were well within the specified input constraints for both control vari-ables, but also non-aggressive and sufficiently smooth for practical implementations. Furthermore, the closed loop dynamic simulations indicated that the speed of rejecting the process disturbances for the MPC controller were also acceptable for both controlled variables.

Full Text Available Global market competition, increase in energy and other production costs, demands for high quality products and reduction of waste are forcing pharmaceutical, fine chemicals and biochemical industries, to search for radical solutions. One of the most effective ways to improve the overall production (cost reduction and better control of reactions is a transition from batch to continuous processes. However, the reactions of interests for the mentioned industry sectors are often slow, thus continuous tubular reactors would be impractically long for flow regimes which provide sufficient heat and mass transfer and narrow residence time distribution. The oscillatory flow reactors (OFR are newer type of tube reactors which can offer solution by providing continuous operation with approximately plug flow pattern, low shear stress rates and enhanced mass and heat transfer. These benefits are the result of very good mixing in OFR achieved by vortex generation. OFR consists of cylindrical tube containing equally spaced orifice baffles. Fluid oscillations are superimposed on a net (laminar flow. Eddies are generated when oscillating fluid collides with baffles and passes through orifices. Generation and propagation of vortices create uniform mixing in each reactor cavity (between baffles, providing an overall flow pattern which is close to plug flow. Oscillations can be created by direct action of a piston or a diaphragm on fluid (or alternatively on baffles. This article provides an overview of oscillatory flow reactor technology, its operating principles and basic design and scale - up characteristics. Further, the article reviews the key research findings in heat and mass transfer, shear stress, residence time distribution in OFR, presenting their advantages over the conventional reactors. Finally, relevant process intensification examples from pharmaceutical, polymer and biofuels industries are presented.

The control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) is the part of reactor regulating system (RRS), which is located in the reactor pool top or the room below the reactor pool. The function of the CRDM is to insert, withdraw or maintain neutron absorbing material (control rod) at any required position within the reactor core, in order to the reactivity of the core. There are so many kinds of CRDM, such as magnetic-jack type, hydraulic type, rack and pinion type, chain type and linear or rotary step motor and so on. As a part of a new project, we are investigating the movable coil electromagnetic drive mechanism (MCEDM) which is new scheme for the reactorcontrol rod adopted by China Advanced Research Reactor (CARR). To have a better knowledge of the electromagnetic and magnetic characteristics, numerical models of MCEDM are proposed. Especially in order to achieve improved thrust force, numerical magnetic field calculations for various kinds of magnetic and electromagnetic configuration have been performed. As a result, we present the improved design of MCEDM for research reactor

Control rod is one important component in a nuclear reactor. In nuclear reactor operations the control rod functions to shut down the reactor. This research analyses ten control rods worth of HTR (High Temperature Reactor) at initial and full core. The HTR in this research adopts HTR-10 China and HTR- of pebble bed. Core calculations are performed by using MCNPX code after modelling the entire parts of core in condition of ten control rods fully withdrawn, all control rods in with 20 cm ranges of depth and the use of one control rod. Pebble bed and moderator balls are distributed in the core zone using a Body Centred Cubic (BCC) lattice by ratio of 57:43. The research results are obtained that the use of one control rod will decrease the reactor criticality of 2.04±0.12 %Δk/k at initial core and 1.57±0.10 %Δk/k at full core. The deeper control rods are in, the lesser criticality of reactor is with reactivity of ten control rods of 16.41±0.11 %Δk/k at initial core and 15.43±0.11 %Δk/k at full core. The results show that the use of ten control rods at full core will keep achieving subcritical condition even though the reactivity is smaller than reactivity at initial core.

This book describes the principles and practices of reactor safety as applied to the design, regulation and operation of light water reactors, combining a historical approach with an up-to-date account of the safety, technology and operating experience of both pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors. The introductory chapters set out the basic facts upon which the safety of light water reactors depend. The central section is devoted to the methods and results of safety analysis. The accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are reviewed and their implications for light wate

Nuclear reactor physics is the core discipline of nuclear engineering. Nuclear reactors now account for a significant portion of the electrical power generated worldwide, and new power reactors with improved fuel cycles are being developed. At the same time, the past few decades have seen an ever-increasing number of industrial, medical, military, and research applications for nuclear reactors. The second edition of this successful comprehensive textbook and reference on basic and advanced nuclear reactor physics has been completely updated, revised and enlarged to include the latest developme

Nuclear reactors are one of the most intense, pure, controllable, cost-effective, and well-understood sources of neutrinos. Reactors have played a major role in the study of neutrino oscillations, a phenomenon that indicates that neutrinos have mass and that neutrino flavors are quantum mechanical mixtures. Over the past several decades reactors were used in the discovery of neutrinos, were crucial in solving the solar neutrino puzzle, and allowed the determination of the smallest mixing angle $\\theta_{13}$. In the near future, reactors will help to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy and to solve the puzzling issue of sterile neutrinos.

The design and implementation of an identification and control scheme of the TRIGA Mark III research nuclear reactor of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) of Mexico is presented in this thesis work. The identification of the reactor dynamics is carried out using fuzzy logic based systems, in which a learning process permits the adjustment of the membership function parameters by means of techniques based on neural networks and bio-inspired algorithms. The resulting identification system is a useful tool that allows the emulation of the reactor power behavior when different types of insertions of reactivity are applied into the core. The identification of the power can also be used for the tuning of the parameters of a control system. On the other hand, the regulation of the reactor power is carried out by means of an adaptive and stable fuzzy control scheme. The control law is derived using the input-output linearization technique, which permits the introduction of a desired power profile for the plant to follow asymptotically. This characteristic is suitable for managing the ascent of power from an initial level n{sub o} up to a predetermined final level n{sub f}. During the increase of power, a constraint related to the rate of change in power is considered by the control scheme, thus minimizing the occurrence of a safety reactor shutdown due to a low reactor period value. Furthermore, the theory of stability in the sense of Lyapunov is used to obtain a supervisory control law which maintains the power error within a tolerance region, thus guaranteeing the stability of the power of the closed loop system. (Author)

It has been studied the physical mechanisms related with the spectral shift control method and their general positive effects on economical and non-proliferant aspects (extension of the fuel cycle length and low proliferation index). This methods has been extended to non-hydrogenous fuel cells of high moderator/fuel ratio: heavy water cells have been con- trolled by graphite rods graphite-moderated and gas-cooled cells have been controlled by berylium rods and graphite-moderated and water-cooled cells have been controlled by a changing mixture of heavy and light water. It has been carried out neutron and thermal analysis on a pre design of these types of fuel cells. We have studied its neutron optimization and their fuel cycles, temperature coefficients and proliferation indices. Finally, we have carried out a comparative analysis of the fuel cycles of conventionally controlled PWRs and graphite-moderated, water-cooled and spectral shift controlledreactors. (Author) 71 refs.

Control analysis and design of large nuclear reactors requires a suitable mathematical model representing the steady state and dynamic behavior of the reactor with reasonable accuracy. This task is, however, quite challenging because of several complex dynamic phenomena existing in a reactor. Quite often, the models developed would be of prohibitively large order, non-linear and of complex structure not readily amenable for control studies. Moreover, the existence of simultaneously occurring dynamic variations at different speeds makes the mathematical model susceptible to numerical ill-conditioning, inhibiting direct application of standard control techniques. This monograph introduces a technique for mathematical modeling of large nuclear reactors in the framework of multi-point kinetics, to obtain a comparatively smaller order model in standard state space form thus overcoming these difficulties. It further brings in innovative methods for controller design for systems exhibiting multi-time-scale property,...

Full Text Available This work presents the use of a hybrid-neural model for predictive control of a plug flow polymerisation reactor. The hybrid-neural model (HNM is based on fundamental conservation laws associated with a neural network (NN used to model the uncertain parameters. By simulations, the performance of this approach was studied for a peroxide-initiated styrene tubular reactor. The HNM was synthesised for a CSTR reactor with a radial basis function neural net (RBFN used to estimate the reaction rates recursively. The adaptive HNM was incorporated in two model predictive control strategies, a direct synthesis scheme and an optimum steady state scheme. Tests for servo and regulator control showed excellent behaviour following different setpoint variations, and rejecting perturbations. The good generalisation and training capacities of hybrid models, associated with the simplicity and robustness characteristics of the MPC formulations, make an attractive combination for the control of a polymerisation reactor.

One of the most important questions related to both safety and economic aspects in a nuclear power reactor operation, is without any doubt its reactivity control. During normal operation of a boiling water reactor, the reactivity control of its core is strongly determined by control rods patterns efficiency. In this paper, GACRP system is proposed based on the concepts of genetic algorithms for full power control rod patterns search. This system was carried out using LVNPP transition cycle characteristics, being applied too to an equilibrium cycle. Several operation scenarios, including core water flow variation throughout the cycle and different target axial power distributions, are considered. Genetic algorithm fitness function includes reactor security parameters, such as MLHGR, MCPR, reactor k{sub eff} and axial power density.

In this master thesis a small modular sodium-cooled metal-fuelled pool-type fast reactor design, called SPARC - Safe and Passive with Autonomous Reactivity control, has been designed. The long term reactivity changes in the SPARC are managed by implementation of the the Autonomous Reactivity Control (ARC) system, which is the novelty of the design. The overall design is mainly based on the Integral Fast Reactor project (IFR), which experimentally demonstrated the passive safety characteristic...

A spinning fluids reactor, includes a reactor body (24) having a circular cross-section and a fluid contactor screen (26) within the reactor body (24). The fluid contactor screen (26) having a plurality of apertures and a circular cross-section concentric with the reactor body (24) for a length thus forming an inner volume (28) bound by the fluid contactor screen (26) and an outer volume (30) bound by the reactor body (24) and the fluid contactor screen (26). A primary inlet (20) can be operatively connected to the reactor body (24) and can be configured to produce flow-through first spinning flow of a first fluid within the inner volume (28). A secondary inlet (22) can similarly be operatively connected to the reactor body (24) and can be configured to produce a second flow of a second fluid within the outer volume (30) which is optionally spinning.

Nanoparticles have attracted a lot of attention in the past few decades due to their unique, size-dependent properties. In order to use these nanoparticles in devices or sensors effectively, it is important to maintain uniform properties throughout the system; therefore nanoparticles need to have uniform sizes -- or monodisperse. In order to achieve monodispersity, an extreme control over the reaction conditions is required during their synthesis. These reaction conditions such as temperature, concentration of reagents, residence times, etc. affect the structure of nanoparticles dramatically; therefore when the conditions vary locally in the reaction vessel, different sized nanoparticles form, causing polydispersity. In widely-used batch wise synthesis techniques, large sized reaction vessels are used to mix and heat reagents. In these types of systems, it is very hard to avoid thermal gradients and to achieve rapid mixing times as well as to control residence times. Also it is not possible to make rapid changes in the reaction parameters during the synthesis. The other drawback of conventional methods is that it is not possible to separate the nucleation of nanoparticles from their growth; this leads to combined nucleation and growth and subsequently results in polydisperse size distributions. Microfluidics is an alternative method by which the limitations of conventional techniques can be addressed. Due to the small size, it is possible to control temperature and concentration of reagents precisely as well as to make rapid changes in mixing ratios of reagents or temperature of the reaction zones. There have been several microfluidic reactors -- (microreactors) in literature that were designed to improve the size distribution of nanoparticles. In this work, two novel microfluidic systems were developed for achieving controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. The first microreactor was made out of a chemically robust polymer, polyurethane, and it was used for low

The present spatial control algorithm in CANDU reactors is based on flux synthesis from a set of parti-coloured harmonic flux modes. The design of the Rop system is also based on parti-coloured flux shapes, including both normal and abnormal reactor operating conditions. The dependency of the control and safety systems on parti-coloured data was necessitated by the slow CPU and by the scarcity of Ram which were available to the computer systems in the early seventies. Recent advancements in high speed microprocessors and high capacity Ram chips enable the development of the Pmfp computer code, which calculates reactor power distribution on-line, using diffusion theory and in-core self-powered flux detector readings as internal boundary conditions. The Pmfp based control and safety systems do not depend on parti-coloured flux shapes or preconceived reactor operating conditions.

Experimental reactor ALLEGRO is a gas cooled fast reactor in the design stage. The current design of its reactivity control system is based on control rods filled with boron carbide as the absorber. Because of disadvantages connected to high boron enrichment a possibility of using other absorbent materials was explored to lower the boron enrichment and increase the worth of the control rods. The results of neutronic Monte-Carlo analyses in a computational supercell are presented in this paper. Three absorbent materials most suitable for a use in reactor ALLEGRO (B{sub 4}C, EuB{sub 6} and ReB{sub 2}) have been analysed also in a full core model. A possible benefit of a neutron trap concept is explored as well but materials with satisfactory neutronic properties proved to be not suitable for expected high temperatures in the reactor.

This report provides the design requirements of an integral type reactor vessel surveillance program for an integral type reactor in accordance with the requirements of Korean MEST (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Development) Notice 2008-18. This report covers the requirements for the design of surveillance capsule assemblies including their test specimens, test block materials, handling tools, and monitors of the surveillance capsule neutron fluence and temperature. In addition, this report provides design requirements for the program for irradiation surveillance of reactor vessel materials, a layout of specimens and monitors in the surveillance capsule, procedures of installation and retrieval of the surveillance capsule assemblies, and the layout of the surveillance capsule assemblies in the reactor.

This publication Nuclear Reactors and Technology (NRT) announces on a monthly basis the current worldwide information available from the open literature on nuclear reactors and technology, including all aspects of power reactors, components and accessories, fuel elements, control systems, and materials. This publication contains the abstracts of DOE reports, journal articles, conference papers, patents, theses, and monographs added to the Energy Science and Technology Database during the past month. Also included are US information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through the International Energy Agency`s Energy Technology Data Exchange or government-to-government agreements. The digests in NRT and other citations to information on nuclear reactors back to 1948 are available for online searching and retrieval on the Energy Science and Technology Database and Nuclear Science Abstracts (NSA) database. Current information, added daily to the Energy Science and Technology Database, is available to DOE and its contractors through the DOE Integrated Technical Information System. Customized profiles can be developed to provide current information to meet each user`s needs.

This paper has the objective of presenting the philosophy of Static Var Compensator (SVC) Control as well the necessary adjustments in the project of control system to guarantee suitable performance under different operating conditions. The verification on the performance of the SVC control has been done by Transient Network Analyzer (TNA/CEPEL) studies, commissioning tests and a factory tests. The SVC is the type of Thyristor ControlledReactor (TCR) and Thyristor Switched Capacitor (TSC). (author) 3 refs., 12 figs.

Radio frequency (rf) power is applied to the chuck of a high-density plasma reactor in order to extract ions and to control the energy of the ions used for the fabrication of microelectronic devices. In many cases, the temporal shape of the rf waveform largely determines the shape of the spectrum of those extracted ions, thereby strongly affecting feature evolution. Using auxiliary rf circuits the authors successfully made major changes to the rf potential waveform at the chuck of an Applied Materials 5300 HDP Omega reactor without affecting the normal functioning of the reactor's control systems. This work established the practical feasibility of techniques for modifying the ion energy distribution functions of industrial reactors.

Using a core model of a generic CANDU-900 reactor in RFSP-IST, load following simulations have been performed to assess the controllability of the reactor due to Xenon transients. Week long load following simulations have been performed with daily power cycles 12 hours in duration. Simulations have shown that Natural Uranium fuel can be safely cycled between 100 and 90% Full Power without adjuster rod movement while TRUMOX fuel can be safely cycled between 100 and 85% Full Power. (author)

In recent years a realization has occurred that reaction and reactor dynamics must be considered when designing and operating catalytic reactors. In this book, the author has focussed on both the processes occurring on individual porous-catalyst particles as well as the phenomena displayed by collections of these particles in fixed-bed reactors. The major topics discussed include the effects of unsteady-state heat and mass transfer, the influence of inhomogeneities and stagnant regions in fixed beds, and reactor operation during forced cycling of operating conditions. Despite the title of the book, attention is also paid to the determination of the number and stability of fixed-bed steady states, with the aim of describing the possibility of controllingreactors at unstable steady states. However, this development is somewhat dated, given the recent literature on multiplicity phenomena and process control.

The International Atomic Energy Agency recommends the use of safety and friendly interfaces for monitoring and controlling the operational parameters of the nuclear reactors. This article describes a digital system being developed to simulate the behavior of the operating parameters using virtual instruments. The control objective is to bring the reactor power from its source level (mW) to a full power (kW). It is intended for education of basic reactor neutronic and thermohydraulic principles such as the multiplication factor, criticality, reactivity, period, delayed neutron, control by rods, fuel and coolant temperatures, power, etc. The 250 kW IPR-R1 TRIGA research reactor at Nuclear Technology Development Centre - CDTN was used as reference. TRIGA reactors, developed by General Atomics (GA), are the most widely used research reactor in the world. The simulator system is being developed using the LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instruments Engineering Workbench) software, considering the modern concept of virtual instruments (VI's) using electronic processor and visual interface in video monitor. The main purpose of the system is to provide training tools for instructors and students, allowing navigating by user-friendly operator interface and monitoring tendencies of the operational variables. It will be an interactive tool for training and teaching and could be used to predict the reactor behavior. Some scenarios are presented to demonstrate that it is possible to know the behavior of some variables from knowledge of input parameters. The TRIGA simulator system will allow the study of parameters, which affect the reactor operation, without the necessity of using the facility. (author)

The Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) program is evaluating the feasibility of a particle bed reactor for a high-performance nuclear thermal rocket engine. Reactors operating between 500 MW and 2,000 MW will produce engine thrusts ranging from 20,000 pounds to 80,000 pounds. The optimum reactor arrangement depends on the power level desired and the intended application. The key components of the reactor have been developed and are being tested. Flow-to-power matching considerations dominate the thermal-hydraulic design of the reactor. Optimal propellant management during decay heat cooling requires a three-pronged approach. Adequate computational methods exist to perform the neutronics analysis of the reactor core. These methods have been benchmarked to critical experiment data.

The rationale for hybrid fusion-fission reactors is the production of fissile fuel for fission reactors. A new class of reactor, the fission-suppressed hybrid promises unusually good safety features as well as the ability to support 25 light-water reactors of the same nuclear power rating, or even more high-conversion-ratio reactors such as the heavy-water type. One 4000-MW nuclear hybrid can produce 7200 kg of /sup 233/U per year. To obtain good economics, injector efficiency times plasma gain (eta/sub i/Q) should be greater than 2, the wall load should be greater than 1 MW.m/sup -2/, and the hybrid should cost less than 6 times the cost of a light-water reactor. Introduction rates for the fission-suppressed hybrid are usually rapid.

Fast Spectrum Reactors presents a detailed overview of world-wide technology contributing to the development of fast spectrum reactors. With a unique focus on the capabilities of fast spectrum reactors to address nuclear waste transmutation issues, in addition to the well-known capabilities of breeding new fuel, this volume describes how fast spectrum reactors contribute to the wide application of nuclear power systems to serve the global nuclear renaissance while minimizing nuclear proliferation concerns. Readers will find an introduction to the sustainable development of nuclear energy and the role of fast reactors, in addition to an economic analysis of nuclear reactors. A section devoted to neutronics offers the current trends in nuclear design, such as performance parameters and the optimization of advanced power systems. The latest findings on fuel management, partitioning and transmutation include the physics, efficiency and strategies of transmutation, homogeneous and heterogeneous recycling, in addit...

The physics and control assessment of an 850 MW(e) Low Enriched Uranium CANDU Pressurized Heavy Water (LEU -CANDU-PHW) reactor constitute the major objective of this thesis. The use of Low Enriched Uranium fuel in the present CANDU nuclear power generating stations is recognized as economically beneficial due to reduced fuelling costs. The LEU fuel cycle is also recognized as a stepping stone to transit from the present CANDU-PHW once-through natural Uranium cycle to advanced cycles such as those based on Plutonium recycle, once-through Th + U-235 cycle, Thorium with Uranium recycle and net U-235 feed, Thorium with Uranium recycle and Plutonium feed. However, although the use of Low Enriched Uranium in the present CANDU-PHW reactor has economic advantages, and it would act as a technical bridge between the present cycle and advanced cycles, technical problems in different areas of reactor physics and fuel management were anticipated. The present thesis research work adresses the areas of reactor physics, fuel management, and control (in particular, the spatial control of large CANDU-PHW reactors). The main conclusions that have been drawn following these studies are as follows: (1) The Low Enriched Uranium Cycle is feasible in a CANDU-PHW reactor of present design and provided that: (a) The enrichment is kept relatively low (that is, about 1% instead of 0.711%); (b) the number of bundles to be replaced at every refuelling operation is about one-half that of the natural Uranium fuel case; (c) The channels are refuelled in the same direction as the coolant. (2) The response of an LEU-CANDU-PHW reactor to reactivity perturbation such as single- and two-channel refuelling operation, shim transient, shutdown-start-up transient with enrichment levels of 0.9% and 1.2% is essentially very similar {provided that certain conditions in (1) are respected} to that of the natural uranium reactor core case without any reactor reoptimization. The general behaviour of the reactor

A constrained, output feedback nonlinear receding horizon control (NRHC) method is applied to design a research reactor power controller. The method uses a nonlinear plant model subject to state, control and terminal set constraints; a nonlinear cost function; and a high gain observer. The controller regulates reactor power from 1% to 100% of full power; considers known disturbances, such as reactivity insertions and changes in core inlet flow and temperature; and includes upper limits constraints on neutron flux, neutron flux rate, core outlet temperature and core inlet-outlet temperature difference. Simulation results show an excellent performance for power regulation and known disturbances rejection: all process variables are kept within the admissible limits avoiding the actuation of the safety systems.

An LMFBR type reactor comprises a plurality of reactor cores in a reactor container. Namely, a plurality of pot containing vessels are disposed in the reactor vessel and a plurality of reactor cores are formed in a state where an integrated-type fuel assembly is each inserted to a pot, and a coolant pipeline is connected to each of the pot containing-vessel to cool the reactor core respectively. When fuels are exchanged, the integrated-type fuel assembly is taken out together with the pot from the reactor vessel in a state where the integrated-type fuel assembly is immersed in the coolants in the pot as it is. Accordingly, coolants are supplied to each of the pot containing-vessel connected with the coolant pipeline and circulate while cooling the integrated-type fuel assembly for every pot. Then, when the fuels are exchanged, the integrated type fuel assembly is taken out to the outside of the reactor together with the pot by taking up the pot from the pot-containing vessel. Then, neutron economy is improved to thereby improve reactor power and the breeding ratio. (N.H.)

Full Text Available INVAP, an Argentine company founded more than three decades ago, is today recognized as one of the leaders within the research reactor industry. INVAP has participated in several projects covering a wide range of facilities, designed in accordance with the requirements of our different clients. For complying with these requirements, INVAP developed special skills and capabilities to deal with different fuel assemblies, different core cooling systems, and different reactor layouts. This paper summarizes the general features and utilization of several INVAP research reactor designs, from subcritical and critical assemblies to high-power reactors.

At present Dhruva and Cirus reactors provide the majority of research reactor based facilities to cater to the various needs of a vast pool of researchers in the field of material sciences, physics, chemistry, bio sciences, research and development work for nuclear power plants and production of radio isotopes. With a view to further consolidate and expand the scope of research and development in nuclear and allied sciences, a new 20 MWt multi purpose research reactor is being designed. This paper describes some of the design features and safety aspects of this reactor.

Catalytic reactions are ubiquitous in chemical and allied industries. A homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst which provides an alternative route of reaction with lower activation energy and better control on selectivity can make substantial impact on process viability and economics. Extensive studies have been conducted to establish sound basis for design and engineering of reactors for practising such catalytic reactions and for realizing improvements in reactor performance. In this article, application of recent (and not so recent) developments in engineering reactors for catalytic reactions is discussed. Some examples where performance enhancement was realized by catalyst design, appropriate choice of reactor, better injection and dispersion strategies and recent advances in process intensification/ multifunctional reactors are discussed to illustrate the approach.

A system is provided to produce sugars from a liquid-solid mixture containing biomass, and an acid, wherein the mixture is heated to an appropriate temperature to achieve hydrolysis. The liquid-solid mixture is introduced as a stream into the circular-cylindrical chamber of a cyclone reaction vessel and steam is introduced to the vessel to provide the necessary heat for hydrolysis as well as to establish the liquid-solid mixture in a rotary flow field whereby the liquids and solids of the mixture move along spiral paths within the chamber. The liquid-solid mixture may be introduced at the periphery of the chamber to spiral down toward and be discharged at or near the center of the chamber. Because of differing mass, the solid particles in the mixture move radially inward at a different rate than the liquid and that rate is controlled to maximize the hydrolysis of the solids and to minimize the decomposition of sugars, thus formed.

The heavy water reactor such as Wolsung No.1 and No.2 has a purification system to purify the reactor coolant. The control system regulates the coolant temperature to protect the ion exchanger. After the fuel exchanges of operating plant, the increase of the coolant pressure makes the purification temperature control difficult. In this paper, the controllability of the control dynamics of the purification system was analysed and the optimal parameters were proposed. To reduce the effects of the flow disturbance, the feedforward control structure was proposed and analysed.

Fast Breeder Reactors: An Engineering Introduction is an introductory text to fast breeder reactors and covers topics ranging from reactor physics and design to engineering and safety considerations. Reactor fuels, coolant circuits, steam plants, and control systems are also discussed. This book is comprised of five chapters and opens with a brief summary of the history of fast reactors, with emphasis on international and the prospect of making accessible enormous reserves of energy. The next chapter deals with the physics of fast reactors and considers calculation methods, flux distribution,

Microfluidic reactors exhibit intrinsic advantages of reduced chemical consumption, safety, high surface-area-to-volume ratios, and improved control over mass and heat transfer superior to the macroscopic reaction setting. In contract to a continuous-flow microfluidic system composed of only a microchannel network, an integrated microfluidic system represents a scalable integration of a microchannel network with functional microfluidic modules, thus enabling the execution and automation of complicated chemical reactions in a single device. In this review, we summarize recent progresses on the development of integrated microfluidics-based chemical reactors for (i) parallel screening of in situ click chemistry libraries, (ii) multistep synthesis of radiolabeled imaging probes for positron emission tomography (PET), (iii) sequential preparation of individually addressable conducting polymer nanowire (CPNW), and (iv) solid-phase synthesis of DNA oligonucleotides. These proof-of-principle demonstrations validate the feasibility and set a solid foundation for exploring a broad application of the integrated microfluidic system.

Design and performance of a proposed LEU burst reactor are sketched. Salient conclusions reached are the following: size would be ~1,500 kg or greater, depending on the size of the central cavity; internal stresses during burst require split rings for relief; the reactor would likely require multiple control and safety rods for fine control; the energy spectrum would be comparable to that of HEU machines; and burst yields and steady-state power levels will be significantly greater in an LEU reactor.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the movement of the control rods of a nuclear reactor. The number of steps of movement in either direction of the rod from which the control rod is suspended is counted. According to the height of the step, an indication of the position of the suspension rod and of the control rod. The apparatus comprises devices for measuring the speed of movement of the control rod, for logging variations in speed higher than a given value, and for counting such variations according to their sign. The invention is particularly useful in pressurized water nuclear reactors.

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Indoor pollution control via photocatalytic reactors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Scaling-up methodology based on previously determined mechanistic kinetics. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Radiation interchange model between catalytic walls using configuration factors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Modeling and experimental validation of a complex geometry photocatalytic reactor. - Abstract: A methodology for modeling photocatalytic reactors for their application in indoor air pollution control is carried out. The methodology implies, firstly, the determination of intrinsic reaction kinetics for the removal of formaldehyde. This is achieved by means of a simple geometry, continuous reactor operating under kinetic control regime and steady state. The kinetic parameters were estimated from experimental data by means of a nonlinear optimization algorithm. The second step was the application of the obtained kinetic parameters to a very different photoreactor configuration. In this case, the reactor is a corrugated wall type using nanosize TiO{sub 2} as catalyst irradiated by UV lamps that provided a spatially uniform radiation field. The radiative transfer within the reactor was modeled through a superficial emission model for the lamps, the ray tracing method and the computation of view factors. The velocity and concentration fields were evaluated by means of a commercial CFD tool (Fluent 12) where the radiation model was introduced externally. The results of the model were compared experimentally in a corrugated wall, bench scale reactor constructed in the laboratory. The overall pollutant conversion showed good agreement between model predictions and experiments, with a root mean square error less than 4%.

We needed to find a space reactor concept that could be attractive to NASA for flight and proven with a rapid turnaround, low-cost nuclear test. Heat-pipe-cooled reactors coupled to Stirling engines long identified as the easiest path to near-term, low-cost concept.

The US Department of Energy`s Light Water Reactor Program is outlined. The scope of the program consists of: design certification of evolutionary plants; design, development, and design certification of simplified passive plants; first-of-a-kind engineering to achieve commercial standardization; plant lifetime improvement; and advanced reactor severe accident program. These program activities of the Office of Nuclear Energy are discussed.

Researches that aim to improve the performance of neutron transport codes and quality of nuclear cross section databases are very important to increase the accuracy of simulations and the quality of the analysis and prediction of phenomena in the nuclear field. In this context, relevant experimental data such as reactivity worth measurements are needed. Control rods may be made of several neutron absorbing materials that are used to adjust the reactivity of the core. For the reactor operation, these experimental data are also extremely important: with them it is possible to estimate the reactivity worth by the movement of the control rod, understand the reactor response at each rod position and to operate the reactor safely. This work presents a temperature correction approach for the control rod calibration problem. It is shown the control rod calibration data of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, the integral and differential reactivity curves and a theoretical analysis, performed by the MCNP-5 reactor physics code, developed and maintained by Los Alamos National Laboratory, using the ENDF/B-VII.0 nuclear data library.

Researches that aim to improve the performance of neutron transport codes and quality of nuclear cross section databases are very important to increase the accuracy of simulations and the quality of the analysis and prediction of phenomena in the nuclear field. In this context, relevant experimental data such as reactivity worth measurements are needed. Control rods may be made of several neutron absorbing materials that are used to adjust the reactivity of the core. For the reactor operation, these experimental data are also extremely important: with them it is possible to estimate the reactivity worth by the movement of the control rod, understand the reactor response at each rod position and to operate the reactor safely. This work presents a temperature correction approach for the control rod calibration problem. It is shown the control rod calibration data of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor, the integral and differential reactivity curves and a theoretical analysis, performed by the MCNP-5 reactor physics code, developed and maintained by Los Alamos National Laboratory, using the ENDF/B-VII.0 nuclear data library.

The control rod drop event in PWR reactors induces an unsafe operating condition. Therefore, in a scenario of a control rod drop is important to quickly identify the rod to minimize undesirable effects. The objective of this work is to develop an on-line method for identification of control rod drop in PWR reactors. The method consists on the construction of a tool that is based on the ex-core detector responses. Therefore, it is proposed to recognize patterns in the neutron ex-core detectors responses and thus to identify on-line a control rod drop in the core during the reactor operation. The results of the study, as well as the behavior of the detector responses, demonstrated the feasibility of this method. (author)

A nuclear power reactor of the type in which a liquid moderator-coolant is transformed by nuclear heating into a vapor that may be used to drive a turbo- generator is described. The core of this reactor comprises a plurality of freely suspended tubular fuel elements, called fuel element trains, within which nonboiling pressurized liquid moderator-coolant is preheated and sprayed through orifices in the walls of the trains against the outer walls thereof to be converted into vapor. Passage of the vapor ovcr other unwetted portions of the outside of the fuel elements causes the steam to be superheated. The moderatorcoolant within the fuel elements remains in the liqUid state, and that between the fuel elements remains substantiaily in the vapor state. A unique liquid neutron-absorber control system is used. Advantages expected from the reactor design include reduced fuel element failure, increased stability of operation, direct response to power demand, and circulation of a minimum amount of liquid moderatorcoolant. (A.G.W.)

The status of French reactors is reviewed. The ORPHEE and RHF reactors can not be operated with a LEU fuel which would be limited to 4.8 g U/cm{sup 3}. The OSIRIS reactor has already been converted to LEU. It will use U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} as soon as its present stock of UO{sub 2} fuel is used up, at the end of 1994. The decision to close down the SILOE reactor in the near future is not propitious for the start of a conversion process. The REX 2000 reactor, which is expected to be commissioned in 2005, will use LEU (except if the fast neutrons core option is selected). Concerning the end of the HEU fuel cycle, the best option is reprocessing followed by conversion of the reprocessed uranium to LEU.

A general survey is presented of surface-related phenomena associated with the following mirror reactor elements: plasma first wall, ion sources, neutral beams, director converters, vacuum systems, and plasma diagnostics. A discussion of surface phenomena in possible abnormal reactor operation is included. Several studies which appear to merit immediate attention and which are essential to the development of mirror reactors are abstracted from the list of recommended areas for surface work. The appendix contains a discussion of the fundamentals of particle/surface interactions. The interactions surveyed are backscattering, thermal desorption, sputtering, diffusion, particle ranges in solids, and surface spectroscopic methods. A bibliography lists references in a number of categories pertinent to mirror reactors. Several complete published and unpublished reports on surface aspects of current mirror plasma experiments and reactor developments are also included.

French research reactors can be classified into 6 categories: 1) critical scale models (Eole, Minerve and Masurca) whose purpose is the study of the neutron production through the fission reaction; 2) reactors that produce neutron beams (Orphee, and the high flux reactor in Grenoble); 3) reactors devoted to safety studies (Cabri, Phebus) whose purpose is to reproduce accidental configurations of power reactors in reduced scale; 4) experimental reactors (Osiris, Phenix) whose purpose is the carrying-out of irradiation experiments concerning nuclear fuels or structure materials; 5) teaching reactors (Ulysse, Isis); and 6) reactors involved in defense programs (Caliban, Prospero, Apareillage-B). We have to note that 3 research reactors are currently being dismantled: Strasbourg University's reactor, Siloe and Siloette. Research reactors in France are of different types and present different hazards. Even if methods of control become more and more similar to those of power reactors, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) works to allow the necessary flexibility in the ever changing research reactor field while ensuring a high level of safety. Adopting the internal authorizations for operations of minor safety significance, under certain conditions, is one example of this approach. Another challenge in the coming years for ASN is to monitor the ageing of the French research reactors. This includes periodic safety reviews for each facility every ten years. But ASN has also to regulate the new research reactor projects such as Jules Horowitz Reactor, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, which are about to be built.

This paper deals with the design of an observer-based nonlinear control for continuous stirred tank reactors （CSTR）. A variable structure observer is constructed to estimate the whole process state variables. This observer is basically the conventional Luenberger observer with an additional switching term used to guarantee the robustness against modeling errors. The observer is coupled with a nonlinear controller, designed based on input-output linearization for controlling the reactor temperature. The asymptotical stability of the closed-loop system is shown by the Lyapunov stability theorem. Finally, computer simulations are developed for showing the performance of the proposed approach.

The conceptual design of a prototype SFR (sodium cooled Fast Reactor) of 150MWe capacity was began in 2012 through the Korea national long term R and D project by KAERI. This report describes the design concepts of a control rod drive mechanism for plant control system and a passive shutdown rod drive mechanism for reactor protection system of a SFR. The performance requirements and preliminary design values of the core power control rod drive mechanism are determined based on the KALIMER 600 and PRISM design concepts. As for the scram rod drive mechanism, several types of passive shutdown systems are introduced, several candidate design concepts are proposed and the reactor shutdown rod drive mechanism is described shortly. This report also performs the parametric design studies for the electromagnet component of the passive shutdown device. Its design feasibility is investigated for a given design installation constraint, and the necessary items for design improvements to meet the design requirements are suggested.

Highlights: • Application of hafnium hydride control rod to large sodium cooled fast breeder reactor. • This paper treats application of an innovative hafnium hydride control rod to a large sodium cooled fast breeder reactor. • Hydrogen absorption triples the reactivity worth by neutron spectrum shift at H/Hf ratio of 1.3. • Lifetime of the control rod quadruples because produced daughters of hafnium isotopes are absorbers. • Nuclear and thermal hydraulic characteristics of the reactor are as good as or better than B-10 enriched boron carbide. - Abstract: This study treats the feasibility of long-lived hafnium hydride control rod in a large sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor by nuclear and thermal analyses. According to the nuclear calculations, it is found that hydrogen absorption of hafnium triples the reactivity by the neutron spectrum shift at the H/Hf ratio of 1.3, and a hafnium transmutation mechanism that produced daughters are absorbers quadruples the lifetime due to a low incineration rate of absorbing nuclides under irradiation. That is to say, the control rod can function well for a long time because an irradiation of 2400 EFPD reduces the reactivity by only 4%. The calculation also reveals that the hafnium hydride control rod can apply to the reactor in that nuclear and thermal characteristics become as good as or better than 80% B-10 enriched boron carbide. For example, the maximum linear heat rate becomes 3% lower. Owing to the better power distribution, the required flow rate decreases approximately by 1%. Consequently, it is concluded on desk analyses that the long lived hafnium hydride control rod is feasible in the large sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor.

An Introduction to the Neutron Kinetics of Nuclear Power Reactors introduces the reader to the neutron kinetics of nuclear power reactors. Topics covered include the neutron physics of reactor kinetics, feedback effects, water-moderated reactors, fast reactors, and methods of plant control. The reactor transients following faults are also discussed, along with the use of computers in the study of power reactor kinetics. This book is comprised of eight chapters and begins with an overview of the reactor physics characteristics of a nuclear power reactor and their influence on system design and

An automatic operation system has been developed for the purpose of realizing a perfect automatic plant operation after reactor scram events. The goal of the automatic operation after a reactor scram event is to bring the reactor hot stand-by condition automatically. The basic functions of this system are as follows; to monitor actions of the equipments of safety actions after a reactor scram, to control necessary control equipments to bring a reactor to a hot stand-by condition automatically, and to energize a decay heat removal system. The performance evaluation on this system was carried out by comparing the results using to Nuclear Ship Engineering Simulation System (NESSY) and the those measured in the scram test of the nuclear ship `Mutsu`. As the result, it was showed that this system had the sufficient performance to bring a reactor to a hot syand-by condition quickly and safety. (author)

Wind turbines and the belonging converters increase in size and price. A reduction in the number of main components is desirable while it reduces need of space, investments and increases the efficiency. A wind turbine contains both a converter reactor and a step up transformer. The paper presents...... theory and laboratory measurements for a new control strategy which make it possibly to connect a wind turbine converter to the utility grid without using the converter reactor or make measurements at the high voltage side of the transformer. The capability to control the DC voltage and reactive power...

This report describes the review results and important technologies related to the in-vessel type control rod drive mechanism. Generally, most of the CRDMs used in the PWR are attached outside of the reactor pressure vessel, and the pernetration of the vessel head can not avoid. However, in-vessel type CRDMs, which are installed inside the reactor vessel, can eliminate the possibility of rod ejection accidents and the penetration of the vessel head, and provide a compact design of the reactor vessel and containment. There are two kinds of in-vessel type CRDM concerning the driving force-driven by a driving motor and by a hydraulic force. Motor driven CRDMs have been mainly investigated in Japan(MRX, IMR, DRX, next generation BWR etc.), and developed the key components such as a canned motor, an integrated rod position indicator, a separating ball-nut and a ball bearing that can operate under the water conditions of a high temperature and pressure. The concept of hydraulically driven CRDMs have been first reported by KWU and Siemens for KWU 200 reactor, and Argentina(CAREM) and China(NHR-5, NHR-200) have been developed the internal CRDM with the piston and cylinder of slightly different geometries. These systems are driven by the hydraulic force which is produced by pumps outside of the reactor vessel and transmitted through a pipe penetrating the reactor vessel, and needs complicated control and piping systems including pumps, valves and pipes etc.. IRIS has been recently decided the internal CRDMs as the reference design, and an analytical and experimental investigations of the hydraulic drive concept are performed by POLIMI in Italy. Also, a small French company, MP98 has been developed a new type of control rods, called 'liquid control rods', where reactivity is controlled by the movement of a liquid absorber in a manometer type device.

This report describes the power control by means of the fine-control rod and the design of the control system of the fast zero energy reactor FR-0 located in Studsvik, Sweden. System requirements and some operational conditions were used as design criteria. Manual and automatic control is possible. Variable electronic end-stops for the control rod have been designed, because of the special construction of the reactor and control rod. Noise in the control system caused by the reactor, detector and electronics caused disturbances of the control system at the lower power levels. The noise power-spectrum was measured. Statistical design methods, using the measured noise power spectrum, were used to design filters, which will reduce the influence of the noise at the lower power levels. Root Loci sketches and Bode diagrams were used for stability analyses. The system was simulated on an analogue computer, taking into account even nonlinearities of the control system and noise. Typical cases of reactor operation were simulated and stability analysis performed.

Full Text Available A proposed feedback control system for methane flow control of a real pilot anaerobic digestion reactor fed with dairy waste is designed and analyzed using the modified Hill model, which has previously been adapted to the reactor. Conditions for safe operation of the reactor are found using steady-state responses of dynamic simulations, taking into account the upper limit of the volatile fatty acids (VFA concentration recommended in the literature. The controllers used are standard process controllers, namely the on-off controller and the PI controller. Several PI controller tuning methods are evaluated using simulations. Two methods are favoured, namely the Skogestad method, which is an open loop method, and the Relaxed Ziegler-Nichols closed loop method. The two methods give approximately the same PI settings. Still, the Skogestad method is ranged first as it requires less tuning time, and because it is easier to change the PI settings at known changes in the process dynamics. Skogestad's method is successfully applied to a PI control system for the real reactor. Using simulations, the critical operating point to be used for safe controller tuning is identified.

The objective of these studies was to perform a realistic evaluation of the relative costs of tublar-fixed-bed and slurry reactors for methanol, mixed alcohols and Fischer-Tropsch syntheses under conditions where they would realistically be expected to operate. The slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor was, therefore, operated at low H{sub 2}/CO ratio on gas directly from a Shell gasifier. The fixed-bed reactor was operated on 2.0 H{sub 2}/CO ratio gas after adjustment by shift and CO{sub 2} removal. Every attempt was made to give each reactor the benefit of its optimum design condition and correlations were developed to extend the models beyond the range of the experimental pilot plant data. For the methanol design, comparisons were made for a recycle plant with high methanol yield, this being the standard design condition. It is recognized that this is not necessarily the optimum application for the slurry reactor, which is being proposed for a once-through operation, coproducing methanol and power. Consideration is also given to the applicability of the slurry reactor to mixed alcohols, based on conditions provided by Lurgi for an Octamix{trademark} plant using their standard tubular-fixed reactor technology. 7 figs., 26 tabs.

This report is a compilation of Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) resource documents prepared to provide the technical basis for the US contribution to the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation. The eight separate parts deal with the alternative fast breeder reactor fuel cycles in terms of energy demand, resource base, technical potential and current status, safety, proliferation resistance, deployment, and nuclear safeguards. An Annex compares the cost of decommissioning light-water and fast breeder reactors. Separate abstracts are included for each of the parts.

Although most of the development work on fast breeder reactors has been devoted to the use of liquid metal cooling, interest has been expressed for a number of years in alternative breeder concepts using other coolants. One of a number of concepts in which interest has been retained is the Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR). As presently envisioned, it would operate on the uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel cycle, similar to that used in the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR), and would use helium gas as the coolant.

A microfluidic electrochemical reactor includes an electrode and one or more microfluidic channels on the electrode, where the microfluidic channels are covered with a membrane containing a gas permeable polymer. The distance between the electrode and the membrane is less than 500 micrometers. The microfluidic electrochemical reactor can provide for increased reaction rates in electrochemical reactions using a gaseous reactant, as compared to conventional electrochemical cells. Microfluidic electrochemical reactors can be incorporated into devices for applications such as fuel cells, electrochemical analysis, microfluidic actuation, pH gradient formation.

Full Text Available Due to the high safety performance of small nuclear reactors, there is a promising future for small reactors. Nuclear heating reactor (NHR is a small reactor that has many advanced safety features such as the integrated arrangement, natural circulation at any power levels, self-pressurization, hydraulic control rod driving, and passive residual heating removing and can be applied to the fields of district heating, seawater desalination, and electricity production. Since the NHR dynamics has strong nonlinearity and uncertainty, it is meaningful to develop the nonlinear adaptive power-level control technique. From the idea of physically based control design method, a novel nonlinear adaptive power-level control is given for the NHR in this paper. It is theoretically proved that this newly built controller does not only provide globally asymptotic closed-loop stability but is also adaptive to the system uncertainty. Numerical simulation results show the feasibility of this controller and the relationship between the performance and controller parameters.

The reactor assembly is submerged in a reactor pool filled with water and its reactivity is controlled by locations of four control absorber rods(CARs) inside the reactor assembly. Each CAR is driven by a stepping motor installed at the top of the reactor pool and they are connected to each other by a tie rod and an electromagnet. The CARs scram the reactor by de-energizing the electromagnet in the event of a safe shutdown earthquake(SSE). Therefore, the safety function of the control rod drive mechanism(CRDM) which consists of a drive assembly, tie rod and CARs is to drop the CAR into the core within an appropriate time in case of the SSE. As well known, the operability for complex equipment such as the CRDM during an earthquake is very hard to be demonstrated by analysis and should be verified through tests. One of them simulates the reactor assembly and the guide tube of the CAR, and the other one does the pool wall where the drive assembly is installed. In this paper, design of the latter test rig and how the test is performed are presented. Initial design of the seismic test rig and excitation table had its first natural frequency at 16.3Hz and could not represent the environment where the CRDM was installed. Therefore, experimental modal analyses were performed and an FE model for the test rig and table was obtained and tuned based on the experimental results. Using the FE model, the design of the test rig and table was modified in order to have higher natural frequency than the cutoff frequency. The goal was achieved by changing its center of gravity and the stiffness of its sliding bearings.

On behalf of the development of new hydroformylation reactors, a research project was initiated to examine the dynamics of hydroformylation processes. The current paper presents the results of applying the rigorous reactor model and the approximate reactor model on a new, to be developed, hydroformy

This patent relates to a reactor and process for carrying out a controlled fast neutron chain reaction. A cubical reactive mass, weighing at least 920 metric tons, of uranium metal containing predominantly U/sup 238/ and having a U/sup 235/ content of at least 7.63% is assembled and the maximum neutron reproduction ratio is limited to not substantially over 1.01 by insertion and removal of a varying amount of boron, the reactive mass being substantially freed of moderator.

Tubular flow reactors are mainly used in chemical industry and waste water discharged units. Control of output variables is very difficult because of the existence of high dead-time in these types of reactors. In the present work, sodium hydroxide and acetic acid solutions were sent to the tubular flow reactor. The aim was to control pH at 7 in the nonlinear region. The pH control of a tubular flow reactor with high time delay and a highly nonlinear behavior in pH neutralization reaction was investigated experimentally in the face of the various load and set point changes. Firstly, efficiency of conventional Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) algorithm in the experiments was tested. Then self-tuning PID (STPID) control system was applied by using the ARMAX model. The model parameters were calculated from input–output data by using PRBS signal as disturbance and Bierman algorithm. Lastly, the experimental fuzzy control of pH based on fuzzy model was achieved to compare the success of fuzzy approach with the performance of other control cases studied.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has two independent fast acting diverse shutdown systems. The absorber rod of the first system is called Control and Safety Rod (CSR). CSR and its Drive Mechanism (CSRDM) are used for reactorcontrol and for safe shutdown of the reactor by scram action. In view of the safety role, the qualification of CSRDM is one of the important requirements. CSR and CSRDM were qualified in two stages by extensive testing. In the first stage, the critical subassemblies of the mechanism, such as scram release electromagnet, hydraulic dashpot and dynamic seals and CSR subassembly, were tested and qualified individually simulating the operating conditions of the reactor. Experiments were also carried out on sodium vapour deposition in the annular gaps between the stationary and mobile parts of the mechanism. In the second stage, full-scale CSRDM and CSR were subjected to all the integrated functional tests in air, hot argon and subsequently in sodium simulating the operating conditions of the reactor and finally subjected to endurance tests. Since the damage occurring in CSRDM and CSR is mainly due to fatigue cycles during scram actions, the number of test cycles was decided based on the guidelines given in ASME, Section III, Div. 1. The results show that the performance of CSRDM and CSR is satisfactory. Subsequent to the testing in sodium, the assemblies having contact with liquid sodium/sodium vapour were cleaned using CO{sub 2} process and the total cleaning process has been established, so that the mechanism can be reused in sodium. The various stages of qualification programmes have raised the confidence level on the performance of the system as a whole for the intended and reliable operation in the reactor.

The objective of SCK-CEN's programme on fusion reactor materials is to contribute to the knowledge on the radiation-induced behaviour of fusion reactor materials and components as well as to help the international community in building the scientific and technical basis needed for the construction of the future reactor. Ongoing projects include: the study of the mechanical and chemical (corrosion) behaviour of structural materials under neutron irradiation and water coolant environment; the investigation of the characteristics of irradiated first wall material such as beryllium; investigations on the management of materials resulting from the dismantling of fusion reactors including waste disposal. Progress and achievements in these areas in 2001 are discussed.

"Russian scientists at the Research Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering in Moscow are hoping to develop a new reactor that will use lead and bismuth as fuel instead of uranium and plutonium" (1/2 page).

We present a review of the antineutrino spectra emitted from reactors. Knowledge of these and their associated uncertainties are crucial for neutrino oscillation studies. The spectra used to-date have been determined by either conversion of measured electron spectra to antineutrino spectra or by summing over all of the thousands of transitions that makeup the spectra using modern databases as input. The uncertainties in the subdominant corrections to beta-decay plague both methods, and we provide estimates of these uncertainties. Improving on current knowledge of the antineutrino spectra from reactors will require new experiments. Such experiments would also address the so-called reactor neutrino anomaly and the possible origin of the shoulder observed in the antineutrino spectra measured in recent high-statistics reactor neutrino experiments.

The BR2 is a materials testing reactor and is still one of SCK-CEN's important nuclear facilities. After an extensive refurbishment to compensate for the ageing of the installation, the reactor was restarted in April 1997. During the last three years, the availability of the installation was maintained at an average level of 97.6 percent. In the year 2000, the reactor was operated for a total of 104 days at a mean power of 56 MW. In 2000, most irradiation experiments were performed in the CALLISTO PWR loop. The report describes irradiations achieved or under preparation in 2000, including the development of advanced facilities and concept studies for new programmes. An overview of the scientific irradiation programmes as well as of the R and D programme of the BR2 reactor in 2000 is given.

This report documents the work completed on the X-PREX facility under NEUP Project 11- 3172. This project seeks to demonstrate the viability of pebble fuel handling and reactivity control for fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (FHRs). The research results also improve the understanding of pebble motion in helium-cooled reactors, as well as the general, fundamental understanding of low-velocity granular flows. Successful use of pebble fuels in with salt coolants would bring major benefits for high-temperature reactor technology. Pebble fuels enable on-line refueling and operation with low excess reactivity, and thus simpler reactivity control and improved fuel utilization. If fixed fuel designs are used, the power density of salt- cooled reactors is limited to 10 MW/m3 to obtain adequate duration between refueling, but pebble fuels allow power densities in the range of 20 to 30 MW/m3. This can be compared to the typical modular helium reactor power density of 5 MW/m3. Pebble fuels also permit radial zoning in annular cores and use of thorium or graphite pebble blankets to reduce neutron fluences to outer radial reflectors and increase total power production. Combined with high power conversion efficiency, compact low-pressure primary and containment systems, and unique safety characteristics including very large thermal margins (>500°C) to fuel damage during transients and accidents, salt-cooled pebble fuel cores offer the potential to meet the major goals of the Advanced Reactor Concepts Development program to provide electricity at lower cost than light water reactors with improved safety and system performance.This report presents the facility description, experimental results, and supporting simulation methods of the new X-Ray Pebble Recirculation Experiment (X-PREX), which is now operational and being used to collect data on the behavior of slow dense granular flows relevant to pebble bed reactor core designs. The X

The measurement of the neutrino mixing angle $\\theta_{13}$ opens a gateway for the next generation experiments to measure the neutrino mass hierarchy and the leptonic CP-violating phase. Future reactor experiments will focus on mass hierarchy determination and the precision measurement of mixing parameters. Mass hierarchy can be determined from the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos based on the interference effect of two separated oscillation modes. Relative and absolute measure...

Precisely measuring $\\theta_{13}$ is one of the highest priority in neutrino oscillation study. Reactor experiments can cleanly determine $\\theta_{13}$. Past reactor neutrino experiments are reviewed and status of next precision $\\theta_{13}$ experiments are presented. Daya Bay is designed to measure $\\sin^22\\theta_{13}$ to better than 0.01 and Double Chooz and RENO are designed to measure it to 0.02-0.03. All are heading to full operation in 2010. Recent improvements in neutrino moment measu...

The general development of the Department of Reactor Technology at Risø during 1981 is presented, and the activities within the major subject fields are described in some detail. Lists of staff, publications, and computer programs are included.......The general development of the Department of Reactor Technology at Risø during 1981 is presented, and the activities within the major subject fields are described in some detail. Lists of staff, publications, and computer programs are included....

The present status of Helias reactor studies is characterised by the identification and investigation of specific issues which result from the particular properties of this type of stellarator. On the technical side these are issues related to the coil system, while physics studies have concentrated on confinement, alpha-particle behaviour and ignition conditions. The usual assumptions have been made in those fields which are common to all toroidal fusion reactors: blanket and shield, refuelling and exhaust, safety and economic aspects. For blanket and shield sufficient space has been provided, a detailed concept will be developed in future. To date more emphasis has been placed on scoping and parameter studies as opposed to fixing a specific set of parameters and providing a detailed point study. One result of the Helias reactor studies is that physical dimensions are on the same order as those of tokamak reactors. However, it should be noticed that this comparison is difficult in view of the large spectrum of tokamak reactors ranging from a small reactor like Aries, to a large device such as SEAFP. The notion that the large aspect ratio of 10 or more in Helias configurations also leads to large reactors is misleading, since the large major radius of 22 m is compensated by the average plasma radius of 1.8 m and the average coil radius of 5 m. The plasma volume of 1400 m{sup 3} is about the same as the ITER reactor and the magnetic energy of the coil system is about the same or even slightly smaller than envisaged in ITER. (orig.)

INVAP, an Argentine company founded more than three decades ago, is today recognized as one of the leaders within the research reactor industry. INVAP has participated in several projects covering a wide range of facilities, designed in accordance with the requirements of our different clients. For complying with these requirements, INVAP developed special skills and capabilities to deal with different fuel assemblies, different core cooling systems, and different reactor layouts. This paper ...

The application of fuzzy logic control (FLC) in the domain of nuclear industry presents a tremendous challenge. The main reason for this is the public awareness of the risks of nuclear reactors and the very strict safety regulations in force for nuclear power plants. The very same regulations preven

The application of fuzzy logic control (FLC) in the domain of nuclear industry presents a tremendous challenge. The main reason for this is the public awareness of the risks of nuclear reactors and the very strict safety regulations in force for nuclear power plants. The very same regulations preven

The application of fuzzy logic control (FLC) in the domain of nuclear industry presents a tremendous challenge. The main reason for this is the public awareness of the risks of nuclear reactors and the very strict safety regulations in force for nuclear power plants. The very same regulations preven

The subject of this report is domestic safeguards and security by design (2SBD) for high-temperature gas reactors, focusing on material control and accountability (MC&A). The motivation for the report is to provide 2SBD support to the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project, which was launched by Congress in 2005. This introductory section will provide some background on the NGNP project and an overview of the 2SBD concept. The remaining chapters focus specifically on design aspects of the candidate high-temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) relevant to MC&A, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements, and proposed MC&A approaches for the two major HTGR reactor types: pebble bed and prismatic. Of the prismatic type, two candidates are under consideration: (1) GA's GT-MHR (Gas Turbine-Modular Helium Reactor), and (2) the Modular High-Temperature Reactor (M-HTR), a derivative of Areva's Antares reactor. The future of the pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) for NGNP is uncertain, as the PBMR consortium partners (Westinghouse, PBMR [Pty] and The Shaw Group) were unable to agree on the path forward for NGNP during 2010. However, during the technology assessment of the conceptual design phase (Phase 1) of the NGNP project, AREVA provided design information and technology assessment of their pebble bed fueled plant design called the HTR-Module concept. AREVA does not intend to pursue this design for NGNP, preferring instead a modular reactor based on the prismatic Antares concept. Since MC&A relevant design information is available for both pebble concepts, the pebble-bed HTGRs considered in this report are: (1) Westinghouse PBMR; and (2) AREVA HTR-Module. The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) sponsors the Fuel Cycle Research and Development program (FCR&D), which contains an element specifically focused on the domestic (or state) aspects of SBD. This Material Protection, Control and Accountancy Technology (MPACT) program supports the present work

A feasibility study of fusion reactors based on accelerators is carried out. We consider a novel scheme where a beam from the accelerator hits the target plasma on the resonance of the fusion reaction and establish characteristic criteria for a workable reactor. We consider the reactions d+t\\to n+α,d+{{}3}{{H}\\text{e}}\\to p+α , and p+{{}11}B\\to 3α in this study. The critical temperature of the plasma is determined from overcoming the stopping power of the beam with the fusion energy gain. The needed plasma lifetime is determined from the width of the resonance, the beam velocity and the plasma density. We estimate the critical beam flux by balancing the energy of fusion production against the plasma thermo-energy and the loss due to stopping power for the case of an inert plasma. The product of critical flux and plasma lifetime is independent of plasma density and has a weak dependence on temperature. Even though the critical temperatures for these reactions are lower than those for the thermonuclear reactors, the critical flux is in the range of {{10}22}-{{10}24}~\\text{c}{{\\text{m}}-2}~{{\\text{s}}-1} for the plasma density {ρt}={{10}15}~\\text{c}{{\\text{m}}-3} in the case of an inert plasma. Several approaches to control the growth of the two-stream instability are discussed. We have also considered several scenarios for practical implementation which will require further studies. Finally, we consider the case where the injected beam at the resonance energy maintains the plasma temperature and prolongs its lifetime to reach a steady state. The equations for power balance and particle number conservation are given for this case.

Major discoveries were made in the past few years in the field of neutrino flavour oscillation. Nuclear reactors produce a clean and intense flux of electron antineutrinos and are thus an essential neutrino source for the determination of oscillation parameters. Most currently the reactor antineutrino experiments Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO have accomplished to measure θ{sub 13}, the smallest of the three-flavour mixing angles. In the course of these experiments two anomalies emerged: (1) the reanalysis of the reactor predictions revealed a deficit in experimentally observed antineutrino flux, known as the ''reactor antineutrino anomaly''. (2) The high precision of the latest generation of neutrino experiments resolved a spectral shape distortion relative to the expected energy spectra. Both puzzles are yet to be solved and triggered new experimental as well as theoretical studies, with the search for light sterile neutrinos as most popular explanation for the flux anomaly. This talk outlines the two reactor antineutrino anomalies. Discussing possible explanations for their occurrence, recent and upcoming efforts to solve the reactor puzzles are highlighted.

The objective of our reactor design is to supply a lunar-based research facility with 20 MW(e). The fundamental layout of this lunar-based system includes the reactor, power conversion devices, and a radiator. The additional aim of this reactor is a longevity of 12 to 15 years. The reactor is a liquid metal fast breeder that has a breeding ratio very close to 1.0. The geometry of the core is cylindrical. The metallic fuel rods are of beryllium oxide enriched with varying degrees of uranium, with a beryllium core reflector. The liquid metal coolant chosen was natural lithium. After the liquid metal coolant leaves the reactor, it goes directly into the power conversion devices. The power conversion devices are Stirling engines. The heated coolant acts as a hot reservoir to the device. It then enters the radiator to be cooled and reenters the Stirling engine acting as a cold reservoir. The engines' operating fluid is helium, a highly conductive gas. These Stirling engines are hermetically sealed. Although natural lithium produces a lower breeding ratio, it does have a larger temperature range than sodium. It is also corrosive to steel. This is why the container material must be carefully chosen. One option is to use an expensive alloy of cerbium and zirconium. The radiator must be made of a highly conductive material whose melting point temperature is not exceeded in the reactor and whose structural strength can withstand meteor showers.

This article is the second in a three-article series devoted to the development of comprehensive three-phase steady-state reactor models. In this article in particular, model equations are developed for the case of a leaching reactor operating under pure gas-transfer control. That is, the transfer of a gaseous reactant at the g-1 interface is considered to be the controlling step of the process rather than the particle dissolution reaction itself. For the derivation of the appropriate model equations, the gas-transfer capacity of the reactor is coupled with the particle dissolution kinetics. Two model versions are developed. In model version 1, the dissolved gas is assumed to be distributed equally among all particles. On the basis of this assumption, a gastransfer control-shrinking core model (GTC-SCM) equation is formulated which, along with the segregated flow model, helps to calculate the conversion of the solid phase. The size distribution of the particles at the exit of the reactor is computed via a mass-particle size density (PSD) function derived with the use of the population balance model (PBM). In model version 2, the dissolved gas is assumed to be distributed among particles in proportion to their surface area. Using the PBM, equations are developed suitable for the calculation of the total specific surface area of the reacting solids and their conversion. Single as well as multiple parallel leaching reactions are considered in developing the two model versions.

of research were undertaken: (1) establishing the design and safety-related basis via neutronic and reactorcontrol assessments with the graphite foam as heat transfer medium; (2) evaluating the thermal performance of the graphite foam for heat removal, reactor stability, reactor operations, and overall core thermal characteristics; (3) characterizing the physical properties of the graphite foam under normal and irradiated conditions to determine any effects on structure, dimensional stability, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion; and (4) developing a power conversion system design to match the reactor operating parameters.

In this three-part series of articles, comprehensive three-phase steady-state hydrometallurgical reactor models of the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) type are developed and applied to a commercial (pressure oxidation) process. The key features of the developed models are the coupling of both mass and heat balance equations, the description of the nonisothermal performance (autothermal) of a multistage continuous reactor, and the treatment of multimineral feed materials. The model considers only the oxidation reactions, because they mainly affect the thermal balance of the reactor. The stoichiometries and intrinsic kinetics of the heterogeneous leaching reactions, which are established via independent experiments, are the foundation of the developed model. A three-phase (g-l-s) reaction process might be controlled by either surface reaction control, i.e., the rate(s) of the heterogeneous leaching reaction(s), or by gas transfer control, i.e., the rate of transfer of the gaseous reactant into the liquid phase. In the present article (Part I), the case of surface reaction control is treated. The article addresses, in particular, the following topics: (1) it outlines the basic mass and heat balance equations which describe the performance of a multistage leaching reactor; (2) it presents a continuous function to describe the particle size distribution of the feed; and (3) it develops, on the basis of probability theory, number- and mass-particle size density functions which give the size distribution of particle populations reacting according to the surface reaction control-shrinking core model.

This is a review paper covering the key environmental and safety issues and how they have been handled in the various magnetic and inertial confinement concepts and reference designs. The issues treated include: tritium accident analyses, tritium process control, occupational safety, HTO formation rate from the gas-phase, disposal of tritium contaminated wastes, and environmental impact--each covering the Joint European Tokamak (J.E.T. experiment), Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR), Russian T-20, The Next Step (TNS) designs by Westinghouse/ORNL and General Atomic/ANL, the ANL and ORNL EPR's, the G.A. Doublet Demonstration Reactor, the Italian Fintor-D and the ORNL Demo Studies. There are also the following full scale plant reference designs: UWMAK-III, LASL's Theta Pinch Reactor Design (RTPR), Mirror Fusion Reactor (MFR), Tandem Mirror Reactor (TMR), and the Mirror Hybrid Reactor (MHR). There are four laser device breakeven experiments, SHIVA-NOVA, LLL reference designs, ORNL Laser Fusion power plant, the German ''Saturn,'' and LLL's Laser Fusion EPR I and II.

Until now, nuclear power has been only used for the base load power operation. However, current nuclear power plants are recognized as the most reasonable energy source. As a result, the proportion of nuclear power has being grown increasingly. Therefore, load following operation of a nuclear power plant should be an essential option. Most of the existing nuclear power plants perform reactor operation by varying the boron concentration in the coolant. But it is hard to respond quickly to demands for the power changes. In case of using the control rods, reactivity control is easy, but axial power distribution control is very hard because it has very complex and nonlinear dynamic characteristics. In this study, we have introduced a Model Predictive Control (MPC) method to control the average coolant temperature and Axial Shape Index (ASI) automatically at the same time, and we have improved the performance of controller by applying the Genetic Algorithm (GA) to optimize the control rod movement.

Full Text Available This paper studies the application of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD to reduce the order of distributed reactor models with axial and radial diffusion and the implementation of model predictive control (MPC based on discrete-time linear time invariant (LTI reduced-order models. In this paper, the control objective is to keep the operation of the reactor at a desired operating condition in spite of the disturbances in the feed flow. This operating condition is determined by means of an optimization algorithm that provides the optimal temperature and concentration profiles for the system. Around these optimal profiles, the nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs, that model the reactor are linearized, and afterwards the linear PDEs are discretized in space giving as a result a high-order linear model. POD and Galerkin projection are used to derive the low-order linear model that captures the dominant dynamics of the PDEs, which are subsequently used for controller design. An MPC formulation is constructed on the basis of the low-order linear model. The proposed approach is tested through simulation, and it is shown that the results are good with regard to keep the operation of the reactor.

International audience; In this paper we analyze the optimalty of affine control system of several species in competition for a single substrate on a Sequential Batch Reactors (SBR), with the objective being to reach a given (low) level of the substrate. We allow controls to be bounded measurable functions of time plus possible impulses. A suitable modification of the dynamics leads to a slightly different optimal control problem, without impulsive controls, for which we apply different optim...

The control method of fuel elements for research reactors by means of measuring beta particles back scattering made it possible to perform complete automatic non-destructive control of internal and external claddings at our plant. This control gives high guarantees of the fuel element correspondence to the requirements. The method can be used to control the three-layer items of different geometry, including plates. (author)

Control rod drop verification experiments of Mitsubishi pressurized water reactor under seismic conditions are performed to confirm the insertion function of control rods into the core. To evaluate these tests, computer simulations are performed. The scram time of control rods under seismic conditions was confirmed to meet the scram function. The behavior of the dropping control rods and the scram time obtained by the computer simulation show a very good correspondence with the results of verification experiments.

An idealised nonlinear model of an isothermal continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) is analysed and simulated for optimal control based on the continuous on-line recomputation of a Riccati Controller as proposed by Banks (1). The controller and resulting behaviour are derived analytically and confirmed to be optimal by derivation also via Dynamic Programming. For comparison purposes, the behaviour of the same model under linear proportional control (with feedforward compensation)is derived a...

Full Text Available Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR is one of the common reactors in chemical plant. Problem statement: Developing a model incorporating the nonlinear dynamics of the system warrants lot of computation. An efficient control of the product concentration can be achieved only through accurate model. Approach: In this study, attempts were made to alleviate the above mentioned problem using Artificial Intelligence (AI techniques. One of the AI techniques namely Artificial Neural Networks (ANN was used to model the CSTR incorporating its non-linear characteristics. Two nonlinear models based control strategies namely internal model control and direct inverse control were designed using the neural networks and applied to the control of isothermal CSTR. Results: The simulation results for the above control schemes with set point tracking were presented. Conclusion: Results indicated that neural networks can learn accurate models and give good non-linear control when model equations are not known.

Temperature sensor location for cascade control schemes in tubular reactors is still an open research problem. Several studies have pointed out that most temperature sensitive zones along the length of the reactor are suitable to this end. In this work, we have studied the problem of sensor locat...

Development and deployment of small-scale nuclear power reactors and their maintenance, monitoring, and control are part of the mission under the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program. The objectives of this NERI-consortium research project are to investigate, develop, and validate advanced methods for sensing, controlling, monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis of these reactors, and to demonstrate the methods with application to one of the proposed integral pressurized water reactors (IPWR). For this project, the IPWR design by Westinghouse, the International Reactor Secure and Innovative (IRIS), has been used to demonstrate the techniques developed under this project. The research focuses on three topical areas with the following objectives. Objective 1 - Develop and apply simulation capabilities and sensitivity/uncertainty analysis methods to address sensor deployment analysis and small grid stability issues. Objective 2 - Develop and test an autonomous and fault-tolerant control architecture and apply to the IRIS system and an experimental flow control loop, with extensions to multiple reactor modules, nuclear desalination, and optimal sensor placement strategy. Objective 3 - Develop and test an integrated monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis system for SMRs using the IRIS as a test platform, and integrate process and equipment monitoring (PEM) and process and equipment prognostics (PEP) toolboxes. The research tasks are focused on meeting the unique needs of reactors that may be deployed to remote locations or to developing countries with limited support infrastructure. These applications will require smaller, robust reactor designs with advanced technologies for sensors, instrumentation, and control. An excellent overview of SMRs is described in an article by Ingersoll (2009). The article refers to these as deliberately small reactors. Most of these have modular characteristics, with multiple units deployed at the same plant site. Additionally, the topics focus

Full Text Available A state estimator and various model-based control systems have been designed for a real anaerobic digestion (AD pilot reactor fed with dairy manure. The model used is a modified Hill model which is a relatively simple dynamical AD process model. The state estimator is an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF which uses only methane gas flow measurement to update its states. The model and the state estimates are used in different control systems. One of the control systems aims at controlling the methane gas flow to a setpoint. Simulations indicate that the setpoint tracking performance of a predictive control system is considerably better comparing with PI control, while disturbance compensation is not much better. Consequently, assuming the setpoint is constant, the PI controller competes well with the predictive controller. A successful application of predictive control of the real reactor is presented. Also, three different control systems aiming at retaining the reactor at an operating point where the volatile fatty acids (VFA concentration has a maximum, safe value are designed. A simulation study indicates that the best control solution among the three alternatives is PI control based on feedback from estimated VFA.

This report describes the theoretical development and the evaluation via both experiment and simulation of digital methods for the closed-loop control of power, temperature, and steam generator level in multi-modular reactors. The major conclusion of the research reported here is that the technology is currently available to automate many aspects of the operation of multi-modular plants. This will in turn minimize the number of required personnel and thus contain both operating and personnel costs, allow each module to be operated at a different power level thereby staggering the times at which refuelings would be needed, and maintain the competitiveness of US industry relative to foreign vendors who are developing and applying advanced control concepts. The technology described in this report is appropriate to the proposed multi-modular reactor designs and to present-generation pressurized water reactors. Its extension to boiling water reactors is possible provided that the commitment is made to create a real-time model of a BWR. The work reported here was performed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under contract to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and to the United States Department of Energy (Division of Industry and University Programs, Contract No. DE-FG07-90ER12930.)

This report describes the theoretical development and the evaluation via both experiment and simulation of digital methods for the closed-loop control of power, temperature, and steam generator level in multi-modular reactors. The major conclusion of the research reported here is that the technology is currently available to automate many aspects of the operation of multi-modular plants. This will in turn minimize the number of required personnel and thus contain both operating and personnel costs, allow each module to be operated at a different power level thereby staggering the times at which refuelings would be needed, and maintain the competitiveness of US industry relative to foreign vendors who are developing and applying advanced control concepts. The technology described in this report is appropriate to the proposed multi-modular reactor designs and to present-generation pressurized water reactors. Its extension to boiling water reactors is possible provided that the commitment is made to create a real-time model of a BWR. The work reported here was performed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under contract to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and to the United States Department of Energy (Division of Industry and University Programs, Contract No. DE-FG07-90ER12930.)

The objective of this research is to develop a model that offers an alternative to the point kinetics (PK) modelling approach in the analysis of space reactor kinetics and control studies. Modelling effort will focus on the explicit treatment of control drums as reactivity input devices so that the transition to automatic control can be smoothly done. The proposed model is developed for the specific integration of automatic control and the solution of the servo mechanism problem. The integration of the kinetics model with an automatic controller will provide a useful tool for performing space reactor scoping studies for different designs and configurations. Such a tool should prove to be invaluable in the design phase of a space nuclear system from the point of view of kinetics and control limitations.

The main objective of this work was to develop a controller for biogas production in continuous anaerobic fixed-bed reactors, which used effluent total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration as control input in order to prevent process acidification at closed loop. To this aim, a fuzzy-logic-based control system was developed, tuned and validated in an anaerobic fixed-bed reactor at pilot scale that treated industrial winery wastewater. The proposed controller varied the flow rate of wastewater entering the system as a function of the gaseous outflow rate of methane and VFA concentration. Simulation results show that the proposed controller is capable to achieve great process stability even when operating at high VFA concentrations. Pilot results showed the potential of this control approach to maintain the process working properly under similar conditions to the ones expected at full-scale plants.

Pressurizer is one of the most important components in the nuclear reactor system. Its function is to keep the pressure of the primary circuit. It can prevent shutdown of the system from the reactor accident under the normal transient state while keeping the setting value in the normal run-time. This paper is mainly research on the pressure system which is running in the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant. A conventional PID controller and a fuzzy controller are designed through analyzing the dynamic characteristics and calculating the transfer function. Then a fuzzy PID controller is designed by analyzing the results of two controllers. The fuzzy PID controller achieves the optimal control system finally.

The purpose of this letter is to submit to Naval Reactors the initial plan for the Prometheus project Reactor Safety work. The Prometheus project is currently developing plans for cold physics experiments and reactor prototype tests. These tests and facilities may require safety analysis and siting support. In addition to the ground facilities, the flight reactor units will require unique analyses to evaluate the risk to the public from normal operations and credible accident conditions. This letter outlines major safety documents that will be submitted with estimated deliverable dates. Included in this planning is the reactor servicing documentation and shipping analysis that will be submitted to Naval Reactors.

Savannah River Site has five dormant nuclear production reactors. Long term disposition will require filling some reactor buildings with grout up to ground level. Portland cement based grout will be used to fill the buildings with the exception of some reactor tanks. Some reactor tanks contain significant quantities of aluminum which could react with Portland cement based grout to form hydrogen. Hydrogen production is a safety concern and gas generation could also compromise the structural integrity of the grout pour. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a non-Portland cement grout to fill reactors that contain significant quantities of aluminum. Grouts generate heat when they set, so the potential exists for large temperature increases in a large pour, which could compromise the integrity of the pour. The primary purpose of the testing reported here was to measure heat of hydration, specific heat, thermal conductivity and density of various reactor grouts under consideration so that these properties could be used to model transient heat transfer for different pouring strategies. A secondary purpose was to make qualitative judgments of grout pourability and hardened strength. Some reactor grout formulations were unacceptable because they generated too much heat, or started setting too fast, or required too long to harden or were too weak. The formulation called 102H had the best combination of characteristics. It is a Calcium Alumino-Sulfate grout that contains Ciment Fondu (calcium aluminate cement), Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate hemihydrate), sand, Class F fly ash, boric acid and small quantities of additives. This composition afforded about ten hours of working time. Heat release began at 12 hours and was complete by 24 hours. The adiabatic temperature rise was 54 C which was within specification. The final product was hard and displayed no visible segregation. The density and maximum particle size were within specification.

Highlights: • A mathematical dynamic model is developed for a passively cooled small modular reactor. • Reactor response associated single-phase natural circulation is analyzed. • A moving boundary model for a helical-coil steam generator is analyzed. • Dynamic responses of the overall model to representative perturbations are evaluated. • This compact model can be utilized for control system design. - Abstract: An analytical dynamic model for a passively cooled small modular reactor (SMR) is developed using a state-variable lumped parameter approach. Reactor power is represented by the generation time formulation of the point kinetics equations with a single combined neutron precursor group. The heat transfer process in the core is described via an overall heat transfer coefficient by defining two coolant lumps paired to a single fuel lump. In addition, a thermal–hydraulics model for single-phase natural circulation is incorporated. For the helical-coil steam generator, a moving-boundary model including subcooled, two-phase, and superheated regions is utilized. Finally, the hot leg riser and downcomer regions are expressed by first-order lags. The performance of the overall system described by ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is evaluated by the Simulink dynamic environment and directly using a MATLAB ODE solver recommended for stiff systems. Simulation results based on NuScale SMR design data show that the initial steady-state values for 100% power are within range of the design data and the model can predict the system dynamics due to typical perturbations, e.g., control rod movement and change in feedwater mass flow rate and temperature. The model developed in this work can be utilized as a foundation for designing and testing a suitable control algorithm for reactor thermal power.

The development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) has multiple applications for electricity generation, process heat, hydrogen production, and others. The results of research, development, and demonstration (RD and D) of load-following control design for multiple modules, nuclear desalination, and sensor placement strategy for enhanced fault detection and isolation, are presented in this paper. The technologies are demonstrated with application to an integral pressurized water reactor (IPWR) such as the IRIS reactor. The outcomes of this RD and D include the development of a complete dynamic model of the IRIS system, load following control under dual-module steam mixing, nuclear desalination with a multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination plant, and automated technique for sensor allocation in a combined reactor and balance-of-plant system. The dynamic performance of a nuclear power station comprised of two IRIS reactor modules, operating simultaneously with a common steam header with steam mixing, was evaluated. The control problem addressed 'load-following' scenarios, such as varying load during the day or reduced consumption during the weekend. To solve this problem, a single-module IRIS MATLAB-Simulink model was developed and used to quantify the responses from both modules. The resulting model was subjected to eight different perturbation cases to analyze its capability of detecting small perturbations, therefore testing its robustness and sensitivity. The prospects of using nuclear energy for seawater desalination on a large scale can be very attractive since desalination is an energy intensive process that can utilize the heat from a nuclear reactor and/or the electricity produced by such plants. Small modular reactors, ranging from 50 MWe to 300 MWe, offer the largest potential as coupling options to nuclear desalination systems. However, coupling a nuclear plant and a desalination plant involves a number of issues that have to be addressed. Among these

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A Microchannel Sabatier Reactor System (MSRS) consisting of cross connected arrays of isothermal or graded temperature reactors is proposed. The reactor array...

A two-stage, thermally coupled fluidized-bed reactor system has been developed for energy-efficient conversion of tar-sand bitumen to synthetic crude oil. Modeling and temperature control of a system are addressed in this study. A process model and transfer function are determined by a transient response technique and the reactor temperature are controlled by PI controllers with tuning settings determined by an internal model control (IMC) strategy. Using the IMC tuning method, sufficiently good control performance was experimentally observed without lengthy on-line tuning. It is shown that IMC strategy provides a means to directly use process knowledge to make a control decision. Although this control method allows for fine tuning by adjusting a single tuning parameter, it is not easy to determine the optimal value of this tuning parameter, which must be specified by the user. A novel method is presented to evaluate that parameter, which must be specified by the user. A novel method is presented to evaluate that parameter in this study. It was selected based on the magnitude of elements on the off-diagonal of the relative gain array to account for the effect of thermal coupling on control performance. It is shown that this method provides stable and fast control of reactor temperatures. By successfully decoupling the system, a simple method of extending the IMC tuning technique to multiinput/multioutput systems is obtained.

The Nuclear Reactor Engineering Analysis Laboratory (NREAL) is a sophisticated computer system with state-of-the-art analytical tools and technology for analysis of light water reactors. Multiple application software tools can be activated to carry out different analyses and studies such as nuclear fuel reload evaluation, safety operation margin measurement, transient and severe accident analysis, nuclear reactor instability, operator training, normal and emergency procedures optimization, and human factors engineering studies. An advanced graphic interface, driven through touch-sensitive screens, provides the means to interact with specialized software and nuclear codes. The interface allows the visualization and control of all observable variables in a nuclear power plant (NPP), as well as a selected set of nonobservable or not directly controllable variables from conventional control panels.

In the pool of TRIGA Mark III reactor of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ), there are control rods that were removed from the core, and which are currently on shelves of decay. These rods were part of the reactor core when only had fuel standard (from 1968-1989). To conduct a proper activation analysis of the rods, is very important to have well-characterized the materials which are built, elemental composition of the same ones, the atomic densities and weight fractions of the elements that constitute them. To determine the neutron activation of the control rods MCNP5 code was used, this code allows us to have well characterized the radionuclides inventory that were formed during irradiation of the control rods. This work is limited to determining the activation of the steel that is part of the shielding of the control rods, the nuclear fuel that is in the fuel follower does not include. The calculation model of the code will be validated with experimental measurements and calculating the activity of fission products of the fuel follower which will take place at the end of 2014. (Author)

The proposed heavy water moderated and light water cooled pressure tube type boiling water reactor works on natural circulation at all power levels. It has parallel inter-connected loops with 452 boiling channels in the main heat transport system configuration. These multiple (four) interconnected loops influence the steam drum level control adversely through the common reactor inlet header. Alternate design studies made earlier for efficient control of SD levels have shown favorable results. This has lead to explore further the present scheme with the compartmentalization of CRIH into four compartments catering to four loops separately. The conventional 3-element level control has been found to be working satisfactorily. The interconnections between ECCS header and inlet header compartments have also increased the safety margin for various LOCA and design basis events. The paper deals with the SD level control aspects for this novel MHT configuration which has been analyzed for various PIEs (Postulated Initiating Events) and found to be satisfactory. (orig.)

Controlled switching system (CSS) with a 204kV gas circuit breaker (GCB) demonstrates to reduce an inrush current and to eliminate re-ignitions in shunt reactor switching. Target closing and opening instants for controlled switching are determined by the electrical and mechanical characteristics of GCB. Idle time dependence of the operating time, which gives a sufficient impact on controlling accuracy, is evaluated and successfully compensated by synchronous switching controller (SSC). Field operation of CSS for a year shows an effective suppression of inrush current on closing and prevention of re-ignitions on opening of shunt reactor. The operations also proved that the CSS has a satisfactory performance for electro-magnetic disturbance imposed in practical field.

The objectives of SCK-CEN's R and D programme on Rector Pressure Vessel (RPV) Steels are:(1) to complete the fracture toughness data bank of various reactor pressure vessel steels by using precracked Charpy specimens that were tested statically as well as dynamically; (2) to implement the enhanced surveillance approach in a user-friendly software; (3) to improve the existing reconstitution technology by reducing the input energy (short cycle welding) and modifying the stud geometry. Progress and achievements in 1999 are reported.

Full Text Available One of the most important operations in nuclear power plants is load following, in which an imbalance of axial power distribution induces xenon oscillations. These oscillations must be maintained within acceptable limits otherwise the nuclear power plant could become unstable. Therefore, bounded xenon oscillation is considered to be a constraint for the load following operation. In this paper, the design of a sliding mode control (SMC, which is a robust nonlinear controller, is presented. SMC is a means to control pressurized water nuclear reactor (PWR power for the load following operation problem in a way that ensures xenon oscillations are kept bounded within acceptable limits. The proposed controller uses constant axial offset (AO strategy to ensure xenon oscillations remain bounded. The constant AO is a robust state constraint for the load following problem. The reactor core is simulated based on the two-point nuclear reactor model with a three delayed neutron groups. The stability analysis is given by means of the Lyapunov approach, thus the control system is guaranteed to be stable within a large range. The employed method is easy to implement in practical applications and moreover, the SMC exhibits the desired dynamic properties during the entire output-tracking process independent of perturbations. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in terms of performance, robustness, and stability. Results show that the proposed controller for the load following operation is so effective that the xenon oscillations are kept bounded in the given region.

The temperature control of a polymerization reactor described by Chylla and Haase, a control engineering benchmark problem, is used to illustrate the potential of adaptive control design by employing a self-tuning regulator concept. In the benchmark scenario, the operation of the reactor must be guaranteed under various disturbing influences, e.g., changing ambient temperatures or impurity of the monomer. The conventional cascade control provides a robust operation, but often lacks in control performance concerning the required strict temperature tolerances. The self-tuning control concept presented in this contribution solves the problem. This design calculates a trajectory for the cooling jacket temperature in order to follow a predefined trajectory of the reactor temperature. The reaction heat and the heat transfer coefficient in the energy balance are estimated online by using an unscented Kalman filter (UKF). Two simple physically motivated relations are employed, which allow the non-delayed estimation of both quantities. Simulation results under model uncertainties show the effectiveness of the self-tuning control concept.

One of the most important operations in nuclear power plants is load following, in which an imbalance of axial power distribution induces xenon oscillations. These oscillations must be maintained within acceptable limits otherwise the nuclear power plant could become unstable. Therefore, bounded xenon oscillation is considered to be a constraint for the load following operation. In this paper, the design of a sliding mode control (SMC), which is a robust nonlinear controller, is presented. SMC is a means to control pressurized water nuclear reactor (PWR) power for the load following operation problem in a way that ensures xenon oscillations are kept bounded within acceptable limits. The proposed controller uses constant axial offset (AO) strategy to ensure xenon oscillations remain bounded. The constant AO is a robust state constraint for the load following problem. The reactor core is simulated based on the two-point nuclear reactor model with a three delayed neutron groups. The stability analysis is given by means of the Lyapunov approach, thus the control system is guaranteed to be stable within a large range. The employed method is easy to implement in practical applications and moreover, the SMC exhibits the desired dynamic properties during the entire output-tracking process independent of perturbations. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in terms of performance, robustness, and stability. Results show that the proposed controller for the load following operation is so effective that the xenon oscillations are kept bounded in the given region.

The distillation column with side reactors (SRC) can overcome the temperature/pressure mismatch in the traditional reactive distillation, the column operates at temperature/pressure favorable for vapor-liquid separation, while the reactors operate at temperatures/pressures favorable for reaction kinetics. According to the smooth operation and automatic control problem of the distillation column with side reactors (SRC), the design, simulation calculation and dynamic control of the SCR process for chlorobenzene production are discussed in the paper. Firstly, the mechanism models, the integrated structure optimal design and process simulation systems are established, respectively. And then multivariable control schemes are designed, the controllability of SRC process based on the optimal steady-state integrated structure is explored. The dynamic response performances of closed-loop system against several disturbances are discussed to verify the effectiveness of control schemes for the SRC process. The simulating results show that the control structure using conventional control strategies can effectively overcome feeding disturbances in a specific range.

A dashpot was incorporated in the design of the drive train of the rotating control drum to prevent shock damage to the control drum and drive train at the termination of a scram action. A rotating vane dashpot using reactor coolant lithium as a damping fluid appears to be the best candidate of the various damping devices explored. A performance analysis, results and discussion of vane type dashpots are presented.

The development of a nuclear rocket engine reactor (NRER ) is presented in this book. The working capacity of an active zone NRER under mechanical and thermal load, intensive neutron fluxes, high energy generation (up to 30 MBT/l) in a working medium (hydrogen) at temperatures up to 3100 K is displayed. Design principles and bearing capacity of reactors area discussed on the basis of simulation experiments and test data of a prototype reactor. Property data of dense constructional, porous thermal insulating and fuel materials like carbide and uranium carbide compounds in the temperatures interval 300 - 3000 K are presented. Technological aspects of strength and thermal strength resistance of materials are considered. The design procedure of possible emergency processes in the NRER is developed and risks for their origination are evaluated. Prospects of the NRER development for pilotless space devices and piloted interplanetary ships are viewed.

Paper presented at the 29th IECEC in Monterey, CA in August 1994. The present paper describes some of the author's conceptual designs and their rationale, and the special analytical techniques developed to analyze their (thermionic reactor) performance. The basic designs, first published in 1963, are based on single-cell converters, either double-ended diodes extending over the full height of the reactor core or single-ended diodes extending over half the core height. In that respect they are similar to the thermionic fuel elements employed in the Topaz-2 reactor subsequently developed in the Soviet Union, copies of which were recently imported by the U.S. As in the Topaz-2 case, electrically heated steady-state performance tests of the converters are possible before fueling.

Public Affairs Office and is releasaole to the National Technical Information Services (NTIS). At NTIS, it will be available to the general public...Reactors that use deu- terium (heavy water) as a coolant can use natural uranium as a fuel. The * Canadian reactor, CANDU , utilizes this concept...reactor core at the top and discharged at the Dotton while the reactor is in operation. The discharged fuel can then b inspected to see if it can De used

A nonlinear first principle model is developed for a laboratory-scaled multivariable chemical reactor rig in this paper and the on-line model predictive control (MPC) is implemented to the rig. The reactor has three variables-temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen with nonlinear dynamics-and is therefore used as a pilot system for the biochemical industry. A nonlinear discrete-time model is derived for each of the three output variables and their model parameters are estimated from the real data using an adaptive optimization method. The developed model is used in a nonlinear MPC scheme. An accurate multistep-ahead prediction is obtained for MPC, where the extended Kalman filter is used to estimate system unknown states. The on-line control is implemented and a satisfactory tracking performance is achieved. The MPC is compared with three decentralized PID controllers and the advantage of the nonlinear MPC over the PID is clearly shown.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) maintains a technical training center at Chattanooga, Tennessee to provide appropriate training to both new and experienced NRC employees. This document describes a one-week course in reactor, safety concepts. The course consists of five modules: (1) historical perspective; (2) accident sequences; (3) accident progression in the reactor vessel; (4) containment characteristics and design bases; and (5) source terms and offsite consequences. The course text is accompanied by slides and videos during the actual presentation of the course.

The activities of SCK-CEN's Reactor Materials Research Department for 2001 are summarised. The objectives of the department are: (1) to evaluate the integrity and behaviour of structural materials used in nuclear power industry; (2) to conduct research to unravel and understand the parameters that determine the material behaviour under or after irradiation; (3) to contribute to the interpretation, the modelling of the material behaviour and to develop and assess strategies for optimum life management of nuclear power plant components. The programmes within the department are focussed on studies concerning (1) Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking (IASCC); (2) nuclear fuel; and (3) Reactor Pressure Vessel Steel.

SCK-CEN's research and development programme on fusion reactor materials includes: (1) the study of the mechanical behaviour of structural materials under neutron irradiation (including steels, inconel, molybdenum, chromium); (2) the determination and modelling of the characteristics of irradiated first wall materials such as beryllium; (3) the detection of abrupt electrical degradation of insulating ceramics under high temperature and neutron irradiation; (4) the study of the dismantling and waste disposal strategy for fusion reactors.; (5) a feasibility study for the testing of blanket modules under neutron radiation. Main achievements in these topical areas in the year 1999 are summarised.

Diagnosis and control modules based on fuzzy set theory were tested for novel bioreactor monitoring and control. Two independent modules were used jointly to carry out first the diagnosis of the state of the system and then use transfer this information to control the reactor. The separation...... in diagnosis and control allowed a more intuitive design of the membership functions and the production rules. Hence, the resulting diagnosis-control module is simple to tune, update and maintain while providing a good control performance. In particular the diagnosis-control system was designed for a complete...

The fuel burn in a fusion reactor has to be kept at a nearly constant rate in order to have a steady power exhaust. Here, we develop a control system based on a fuzzy logic controller in order that adjusts external parameters to keep the plasma temperature and density at the design values of a reactor of the characteristics of ITER. The control parameters chosen are the D-T refueling rate, the auxiliary heating power and a neutral helium beam. We use a fuzzy controller of the Mamdani type that uses a number of membership functions appropriate to produce a response to parameter deviations that minimizes the response time. The inference rules are determined in a way to provide stabilization to all perturbations of the temperature, density and alpha particle fraction. The dynamical response of the reactor is simulated with a 0D model that uses confinement times provided by the ITER scaling. We show that the system is feedback stabilized for a large range of parameters around the nominal values. The recovery time after a departure from the steady values is of the order of one second. We compare the results with another control system based on neural networks that was developed previously. Funded by projects PAPIIT IN109115 and Conacyt 152905.

Full Text Available With this study, the design and tuning of multi-loop for multivariable (2x2 CSTR will be made in order to achieve optimum CSTR control performance. This study used Bequette model reactor and MATLAB software and is expected to be able to cope with disturbances in the reactor so that the reactor system is able to stabilize quickly despite the distractions. In this study, the design will be made using multi-loop approach, along with PI controller as the next step. Then, BLT and auto-tune tuning method will be used in PI controller and given disturbances to both of tuning method. The controller performances are then compared. Results of the study are then analyzed for discussions and conclusions. Results from this study have shown that in terms of disturbance rejection, BLT is better than auto-tune based on comparison between both of controller performances. For IAE for the case of temperature, BLT is 30% better than auto-tune, but it is almost the same for the case of concentration. For settling time for the case of concentration, BLT is 30% better than auto-tune, and for the case of temperature, BLT is 18% better than auto-tune. For rise time for the case of concentration and temperature, BLT is 30% better than auto-tune.

Full Text Available Microbial electrosynthesis, an artificial form of photosynthesis, can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into organic commodities; however, this process has only previously been demonstrated in reactors that have features likely to be a barrier to scale-up. Therefore, the possibility of simplifying reactor design by both eliminating potentiostatic control of the cathode and removing the membrane separating the anode and cathode was investigated with biofilms of Sporomusa ovata, which reduces carbon dioxide to acetate. In traditional ‘H-cell’ reactors, where the anode and cathode chambers were separated with a proton-selective membrane, the rates and columbic efficiencies of microbial electrosynthesis remained high when electron delivery at the cathode was powered with a direct current power source rather than with a poteniostat-poised cathode utilized in previous studies. A membrane-less reactor with a direct-current power source with the cathode and anode positioned to avoid oxygen exposure at the cathode, retained high rates of acetate production as well as high columbic and energetic efficiencies. The finding that microbial electrosynthesis is feasible without a membrane separating the anode from the cathode, coupled with a direct current power source supplying the energy for electron delivery, is expected to greatly simplify future reactor design and lower construction costs.

The Savannah River Site (SRS) produces nuclear materials, primarily plutonium and tritium, to meet the requirements of the Department of Defense. These products have been formed in nuclear reactors that were built during 1950--1955 at the SRS. K, L, and P reactors are three of five reactors that have been used in the past to produce the nuclear materials. All three of these reactors discontinued operation in 1988. Currently, intense efforts are being extended to prepare these three reactors for restart in a manner that protects human health and the environment. To document that restarting the reactors will have minimal impacts to human health and the environment, a three-volume Reactor Operations Environmental Impact Document has been prepared. The document focuses on the impacts of restarting the K, L, and P reactors on both the SRS and surrounding areas. This volume discusses the geology, seismology, and subsurface hydrology. 195 refs., 101 figs., 16 tabs.

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the development of predictive neural network-based cascade control for pH reactors. The cascade structure consists of a master control loop (fuzzy proportional-integral and a slave one (predictive neural network. The master loop is chosen to be more accurate but slower than the slave one. The strong features found in cascade structure have been added to the inherent features in model predictive neural network. The neural network is used to alleviate modeling difficulties found with pH reactor and to predict its behavior. The parameters of predictive algorithm are determined using an optimization algorithm. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed design have been demonstrated using MatLab.

Water-Gas Shift Reaction (WGSR) has become one of the well-known pathways for H2 production in industries. The issue with WGSR is that it is kinetically favored at high temperatures but thermodynamically favored at low temperatures, thus requiring careful consideration in the control design in order to ensure that the temperature used does not deactivate the catalyst. This paper studies the effect of a reactor arrangement with an inter-stage cooling implemented in the packed bed reactor to look at its effect on outlet temperature. A mathematical model is developed based on one-dimensional heat and mass transfers which incorporate the intra-particle effects. It is shown that the placement of the inter-stage cooling and the outlet temperature exiting the inter-stage cooling have strong influence on the reaction conversion. Several control strategies are explored for the process. It is shown that a feedback- feedforward control strategy using Multi-scale Control (MSC) is effective to regulate the reactor temperature profile which is critical to maintaining the catalysts activity.

Copper was continuously and selectively precipitated with Na2S to concentrations below 0.3 ppb from water containing around 600 ppm of both Cu and Zn in a Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor. The pH was controlled at 3 and the pS at 25 (pS = ¿log(S2¿)) by means of an Ag2S sulfide selective electrode.

ABSRACTThis thesis focuses on the monitoring, fault detection and diagnosis of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP), which are important fields of research for a wide range of engineering disciplines. The main objective is to evaluate and apply a novel artificial intelligent methodology based on situation assessment for monitoring and diagnosis of Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) operation. To this end, Multivariate Statistical Process Control (MSPC) in combination with Case-Based Reasoning (CBR)...

The guide tubes for control rods forming part of the upper internals of the reactor vessel, its function is to guide the control rod to permit its insertion in the reactor core. These guide tubes are suspended from the upper support plate which are fixed by bolts and extending to the upper core plate which is fastened by clamping bolts (split pin) to prevent lateral displacement of the guide tubes, while allowing axial expansion.

This report describes both the theoretical development and the experimental evaluation of a novel, robust methodology for the time-optimal adjustment of a reactor's neutronic power under conditions of closed-loop digital control. Central to the approach are the MIT-SNL Period-Generated Minimum Time Control Laws' which determine the rate at which reactivity should be changed in order to cause a reactor's neutronic power to conform to a specified trajectory. Using these laws, reactor power can be safely raised by five to seven orders of magnitude in a few seconds. The MIT-SNL laws were developed to facilitate rapid increases of neutronic power on spacecraft reactors operating in an SDI environment. However, these laws are generic and have other applications including the rapid recovery of research and test reactors subsequent to an unanticipated shutdown, power increases following the achievement of criticality on commercial reactors, power adjustments on commercial reactors so as to minimize thermal stress, and automated startups. The work reported here was performed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under contract to the Sandia National Laboratories. Support was also provided by the US Department of Energy's Division of University and Industry Programs. The work described in this report is significant in that a novel solution to the problem of time-optimal control of neutronic power was identified, in that a rigorous description of a reactor's dynamics was derived in that the rate of change of reactivity was recognized as the proper control signal, and in that extensive experimental trials were conducted of these newly developed concepts on actual nuclear reactors. 43 refs., 118 figs., 11 tabs.

This patent shows a method for detecting leaks in jacketed fuel elements. The element is placed in a sealed tank within a nuclear reactor, and, while the reactor operates, the element is sparged with gas. The gas is then led outside the reactor and monitored for radioactive Xe or Kr. (AEC)

In the Institute for Advanced Studies (IEAv), were developed, successfully, the first two direct current electromagnetic pumps (DC EM pumps) of Brazil. The first was built with C-type magnet and coils; and the second, with Samarium-Cobalt permanent magnets, for magnetic field generation. Both were tested and performed quite satisfactory. The electromagnetic pump uses the Faraday principle, in which the interaction of the magnetic field and electric current generates the magneto-motive force, which produces the circulation of the fluid. This type of equipment may be used for controlling the liquid metal flow in nuclear space fast reactors. This paper shows the computer programs developed for design and evaluation of DC EM and electromagnetic thermoelectric (EMTE) pumps, the DC EM pump of Samarium-Cobalt magnets data to Mercury loop flow control, the EMTE pump of SNAP space nuclear reactor. It also compares the theoretical results to experimental data of NaK primary loop flow control by electromagnetic thermoelectric pump of the SNAP-10A space nuclear reactor, with satisfactory results, confirming the viability of the electromagnetic pumps evaluation scheme. (author)

As its name implies, this reactor utilizes an aqueous solution of a fissionable element salt, and is also conventional in that it contains a heat exchanger cooling coil immersed in the fuel. Its novelty lies in the utilization of a cylindrical reactor vessel to provide a critical region having a large and constant interface with a supernatant vapor region, and the use of a hollow sleeve coolant member suspended from the cover assembly in coaxial relation with the reactor vessel. Cool water is circulated inside this hollow coolant member, and a gap between its outer wall and the reactor vessel is used to carry off radiolytic gases for recombination in an external catalyst chamber. The central passage of the coolant member defines a reflux condenser passage into which the externally recombined gases are returned and condensed. The large and constant interface between fuel solution and vapor region prevents the formation of large bubbles and minimizes the amount of fuel salt carried off by water vapor, thus making possible higher flux densities, specific powers and power densities.

A multistage fluidized bed reactor is described in which each of a number of stages is arranged with respect to an associated baffle so that a fluidizing gas flows upward and a granular solid downward through the stages and baffles, whereas the granular solid stopsflowing downward when the flow of fluidizing gas is shut off.

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) is an innovative LMR concept, being developed at Argonne National Laboratory, that fully exploits the inherent properties of liquid metal cooling and metallic fuel to achieve breakthroughs in economics and inherent safety. This paper describes key features and potential advantages of the IFR concept, technology development status, fuel cycle economics potential, and future development path.

special information about effects of surface heteroge- neity in the methanation reaction. Studies of an efficient multicolumn assembly for measuring...of organic basic catalysts such as pyridine and 4-methylpicoline. It was demonstrated that the chromatographic reactor gave special information about...Programmed Reaction to obtain special information about surface heterogeneity in the methanation reaction. Advantages of stopped flow over steady state

A plasma spark discharge reactor for treating water. The plasma spark discharge reactor comprises a HV electrode with a head and ground electrode that surrounds at least a portion of the HV electrode. A passage for gas may pass through the reactor to a location proximate to the head to provide controlled formation of gas bubbles in order to facilitate the plasma spark discharge in a liquid environment.

Berty Reaction Engineers, Ltd. (BREL) is developing two new laboratory recycle reactors, the ROTOBERTY and the TURBOBERTY. These new reactors are basically improved versions of the original Berty reactor. To understand why the reactors have the features that they do, it is first necessary to briefly review laboratory reactors in general and specifically the original Berty reactor.

En 2011, Mexico won the Colombian international tender for the renewal of instrumentation and control of the IAN-R1 Reactor, to Argentina and the United States. This paper presents the design criteria and the development made for the new digital control system installed in the Colombian nuclear reactor IAN-R1, which is based on a redundant and diverse architecture, which provides increased availability, reliability and safety in the reactor operation. This control system and associated instrumentation met all national export requirements, with the safety requirements established by the IAEA as well as the requirements demanded by the Colombian Regulatory Body in nuclear matter. On August 20, 2012, the Colombian IAN-R1 reactor reached its first criticality controlled with the new system developed at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). On September 14, 2012, the new control system of the Colombian IAN-R1 reactor was officially handed over to the Colombian authorities, this being the first time that Mexico exported nuclear technology through the ININ. Currently the reactor is operating successfully with the new control system, and has an operating license for 5 years. (Author)

The Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) Project is an action of the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and has its execution under the responsibility of the Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). Within the CNEN, the project is coordinated by the Research and Development Directorate (DPD) and developed through research units of this board: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (IPEN); Nuclear Engineering Institute (IEN); Centre for Development of Nuclear Technology (CDTN); Regional Center of Nuclear Sciences (CRCN-NE); and Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD). The Navy Technological Center in Sao Paulo (CTMSP) and also the participation of other research centers, universities, laboratories and companies in the nuclear sector are important and strategic partnerships. The conceptual design and the safety analysis of the reactor and main facilities, related to nuclear and environmental licensing, are performed by technicians of the research units of DPD / CNEN. The basic design was contracted to engineering companies as INTERTHECNE from Brazil and INVAP from Argentine. The research units from DPD/CNEN are also responsible for the design verification on all engineering documents developed by the contracted companies. The construction and installation should be performed by specific national companies and international partnerships. The Nuclear Reactor RMB will be a open pool type reactor with maximum power of 30 MW and have the OPAL nuclear reactor of 20 MW, built in Australia and designed by INVAP, as reference. The RMB reactor core will have a 5x5 configuration, consisting of 23 elements fuels (EC) of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} dispersion-type Al having a density of up to 3.5 gU/cm{sup 3} and enrichment of 19.75% by weight of {sup 23{sup 5}}U. Two positions will be available in the core for materials irradiation devices. The main objectives of the RMB Reactor and the other nuclear and radioactive

The Monte Carlo simulation has been established for a research reactor with nominal power of 7 MW. A detailed model of the reactor core was employed including standard and control fuel elements, reflectors, irradiation channels, control rods, reactor pool and thermal column. The following physical parameters of reactor core were calculated for the present LEU core: core reactivity ( ρ), control rod (CR) worth, thermal and epithermal neutron flux distributions, shutdown margin and delayed neutron fraction. Reduction of unfavorable effects of blockage probability of control safety rod (CSR)s in their interiors because of not enough space in their sites, and lack of suitable capabilities to fabricate very thin plates for CSR cladding, is the main aim of the present study. Making the absorber rod thinner and CSR cladding thicker by introducing a better blackness absorbing material and a new stainless steel alloy, respectively, are two studied ways to reduce the effects of mentioned problems.

Highlights: • The reliability of neutronics parameters of GHARR-I was assessed. • The reactor was operated at different power levels of 5–30 kW. • The pre-set flux was compared with the flux in the inner irradiation site. • Decrease in the core reactivity caused difference in flux on the meters and site. • Neutronic parameters become reliable when operation is done at reactivity of 4 mk. - Abstract: The Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) has been in operation for the past 19 years using a Micro-Computer Closed Loop System (MCCLS) and Control Console (CC) as the control systems. The two control systems were each coupled separately with a micro-fission chamber to measure the current pulses of the neutron fluxes in the core at excess reactivity of 4 mk. The MCCLS and CC meter readings at a pre-set flux of 5.0 × 10{sup 11} n/cm{sup 2} s were 6.42 × 10{sup 11} n/cm{sup 2} s and 5.0 × 10{sup 11} n/cm{sup 2} s respectively. Due to ageing and obsolescence, the MCCLS and some components that control the sensitivity and the reading mechanism of the meters were replaced. One of the fission chambers was also removed and the two control systems were coupled to one fission chamber. The reliability of the neutronic parameters of the control systems was assessed after the replacement. The results showed that when the reactor is operated at different power levels of 5–30 kW using one micro-fission chamber, the pre-set neutron fluxes at the control systems is 1.6 times the neutron fluxes obtained using a flux monitor at the inner irradiation site two of the reactor. The average percentage deviations of the obtained fluxes from the pre-set values of 1.67 × 10{sup 11}–1.0 × 10{sup 12} n/cm{sup 2} s were 36.5%. This compares very well with the decrease in core excess reactivity of 36.3% of the nominal value of 4 mk, after operating the reactor at critical neutron flux of 1.0 × 10{sup 9} n/cm{sup 2} s.

Proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers are widely used in process control, and consequently they are described in most of the textbooks on automatic control. However, rather than presenting the overall design process, the examples given in such textbooks are intended to illuminate specific focused aspects of selection, tuning and…

We introduce a fully generalized quiescent chemical reactor system in arbitrary space $\\vdim =1,2$ or 3, with $n\\in\\mathbb{N}$ chemical constituents $\\alpha_{i}$, where the character of the numerical solution is strongly determined by the relative scaling between the local reactivity of species $\\alpha_{i}$ and the local functional diffusivity $\\mathscr{D}_{ij}(\\alpha)$ of the reaction mixture. We develop an operator time-splitting predictor multi-corrector RK--LDG scheme, and utilize $hp$-adaptivity relying only on the entropy $\\mathscr{S}_{\\mathfrak{R}}$ of the reactive system $\\mathfrak{R}$. This condition preserves these bounded nonlinear entropy functionals as a necessarily enforced stability condition on the coupled system. We apply this scheme to a number of application problems in chemical kinetics; including a difficult classical problem arising in nonequilibrium thermodynamics known as the Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction where we utilize a concentration-dependent diffusivity tensor $\\mathscr{D}_{ij}(...

The limitations of the Tokamak fusion reactor concept are discussed and various other fusion reactor concepts are considered that employ the containment of thermonuclear plasmas by magnetic fields (i.e., stellarators). Progress made in the containment of plasmas in toroidal devices is reported. Reactor design concepts are illustrated. The possibility of using fusion reactors as a power source in interplanetary space travel and electric power plants is briefly examined.

Precipitation of Zn2+ with S2− was studied at room temperature in a continuously stirred tank reactor of 0.5 l to which solutions of ZnSO4 (800–5800 mg Zn2+/l) and Na2S were supplied. The pH was controlled at 6.5 and S2− concentration in the reactor was controlled at set point values ranging from 3.

Inevitably, the question of reactive power compensation was aroused by applied of power electronics. Based on the study of the instantaneous reactive power theory, the designs of TCR(thyristor controlreactor) thyristor controlreactor reactive power compensation system and TCR single closed loop strategy was proposed. In addition, as digital simulation software, Arene was applied to simulate the Jining coal mine No.2 system. The simulation results validate that the design is effective to improve power factor and stabilization of the system.

The operation of space reactors for both in-space and planetary operations will require unprecedented levels of autonomy and control. Development of these autonomous control systems will require dynamic system models, effective control methodologies, and autonomous control logic. This paper briefly describes the results of reactor, power-conversion, and control models that are implemented in SIMULINK™ (Simulink, 2004). SIMULINK™ is a development environment packaged with MatLab™ (MatLab, 2004) that allows the creation of dynamic state flow models. Simulation modules for liquid metal, gas cooled reactors, and electrically heated systems have been developed, as have modules for dynamic power-conversion components such as, ducting, heat exchangers, turbines, compressors, permanent magnet alternators, and load resistors. Various control modules for the reactor and the power-conversion shaft speed have also been developed and simulated. The modules are compiled into libraries and can be easily connected in different ways to explore the operational space of a number of potential reactor, power-conversion system configurations, and control approaches. The modularity and variability of these SIMULINK™ models provides a way to simulate a variety of complete power generation systems. To date, both Liquid Metal Reactors (LMR), Gas Cooled Reactors (GCR), and electric heaters that are coupled to gas-dynamics systems and thermoelectric systems have been simulated and are used to understand the behavior of these systems. Current efforts are focused on improving the fidelity of the existing SIMULINK™ modules, extending them to include isotopic heaters, heat pipes, Stirling engines, and on developing state flow logic to provide intelligent autonomy. The simulation code is called RPC-SIM (Reactor Power and Control-Simulator).

The power control system of a nuclear reactor is the key system that ensures a safe operation for a nuclear power plant. However, a mathematical model of a nuclear power plant is in the form of nonlinear process and time dependent that give very hard to be described. One of the important components of a Pressurized Water Reactor is the Reactor core. The aim of this study is to analyze the performance of power produced from a reactor core using temperature of the moderator as an input. Mathematical representation of the state space model of the reactor core control system is presented and analyzed in this paper. The data and parameters are taken from a real time VVER-type Pressurized Water Reactor and will be verified using Matlab and Simulink. Based on the simulation conducted, the results show that the temperature of the moderator plays an important role in determining the power of reactor core.

The power control system of a nuclear reactor is the key system that ensures a safe operation for a nuclear power plant. However, a mathematical model of a nuclear power plant is in the form of nonlinear process and time dependent that give very hard to be described. One of the important components of a Pressurized Water Reactor is the Reactor core. The aim of this study is to analyze the performance of power produced from a reactor core using temperature of the moderator as an input. Mathematical representation of the state space model of the reactor core control system is presented and analyzed in this paper. The data and parameters are taken from a real time VVER-type Pressurized Water Reactor and will be verified using Matlab and Simulink. Based on the simulation conducted, the results show that the temperature of the moderator plays an important role in determining the power of reactor core.

RAVEN is a complex software tool that will have tasks spanning from being the RELAP-7 user interface, to using RELAP-7 to perform Risk Informed Safety Characterization (RISMC), and to controlling RELAP-7 calculation execution. The goal of this document is to: 1. Highlight the functional requirements of the different tasks of RAVEN 2. Identify shared functions that could be aggregate in modules so to obtain a minimal software redundancy and maximize software utilization. RAVEN is in fact a software framework that will allow exploiting the following functionalities: • Derive and actuate the control logic required to: o Simulate the plant control system o Simulate the operator (procedure guided) actions o Perform Monte Carlo sampling of random distributed events o Perform event three based analysis • Provide a GUI to: o Input a plant description to RELAP-7 (component, control variable, control parameters) o Concurrent monitoring of Control Parameters o Concurrent alteration of control parameters • Provide Post Processing data mining capability based on o Dimensionality reduction o Cardinality reduction In this document it will be shown how an appropriate mathematical formulation of the control logic and probabilistic analysis leads to have most of the software infrastructure leveraged between the two main tasks. Further, this document will go through the development accomplished this year, including simulation results, and priorities for the next years development

The Helix reactor is highly suited for precise reaction control based on good hydrodynamics. The hydrodynamics are controlled by the Dean vortices, which create excellent heat transfer properties, approach plug flow and avoid turbulence. The flexibility of this reactor has been demonstrated using a

Nuclear reactors have served as the antineutrino source for many fundamental physics experiments. The techniques developed by these experiments make it possible to use these weakly interacting particles for a practical purpose. The large flux of antineutrinos that leaves a reactor carries information about two quantities of interest for safeguards: the reactor power and fissile inventory. Measurements made with antineutrino detectors could therefore offer an alternative means for verifying the power history and fissile inventory of a reactor as part of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and/or other reactor safeguards regimes. Several efforts to develop this monitoring technique are underway worldwide.

A reactor vessel support system includes a support ring at the reactor top supported through a box ring on a ledge of the reactor containment. The box ring includes an annular space in the center of its cross-section to reduce heat flow and is keyed to the support ledge to transmit seismic forces from the reactor vessel to the containment structure. A coolant channel is provided at the outside circumference of the support ring to supply coolant gas through the keyways to channels between the reactor vessel and support ledge into the containment space.

The present invention mitigates a delay of control response upon concentration and reverse operation upon dilution of boron in coolants, to ensure good control response and system stability. That is, in an existent boron concentration control system, an injection system of aqueous boric acid at predetermined concentration and a dilution water injection system are connected to a coolant recycling system by way of a mixer. An adder for receiving axial distribution parameter, and a set value thereof and a calculator for outputting a dilution water flow rate demand signal or an aqueous boric acid flow rate demand signal upon receiving the output from the adder are disposed to the system. The aqueous boric acid flow rate demand signal is applied to an aqueous boric acid injection flow rate control valve, as well as dilution water flow rate demand signal upon concentration is applied to a dilution water flow rate control valve. With such procedures, the delay for the transportation of aqueous boric acid caused when the boric acid in primary coolant system is changed from dilution to concentration is improved. On the other hand, the reverse operation of temporal concentration caused when the concentration is changed to dilution is decreased. Further, stability of control system is also sufficient. (I.S.).

Inside spaces of emulsion droplets can be used as mini-reactors for material synthesis. The novel application of sol−gel derived silicone oil droplets as mini-reactors was examined for the case of polymerization of styrene (St) and comonomers with the oil-soluble initiator 2,2′-azobis(2,4- dimethylv

Inside spaces of emulsion droplets can be used as mini-reactors for material synthesis. The novel application of sol−gel derived silicone oil droplets as mini-reactors was examined for the case of polymerization of styrene (St) and comonomers with the oil-soluble initiator 2,2′-azobis(2,4- dimethylv

In modern petrochemical plants the corporate and societal demands to plant safety and minimum environmental effects are high. These demands rise high performance requirements to the technical systems, specially the process control and safety systems including an effective operator support system with fault detection capability. PVC producing plants have high inherent hazard potentials, and the studied reaction in this publication is exothermic and non-linear and open-loop unstable, and the plant is equipped with two independent cooling systems to keep the reaction under control. A system to solve the stability problem of parallel control is suggested, showing the simulation of real process data. The publication describes an operator support system for monitoring the heat of reaction in the autoclave consisting of a model based estimator. The system is tested on-line, and the results of simulations and on-line estimates are presented. 6 refs., 13 figs.

The paper presents an optimal parametric sensitivity controller for estimation of a set of parameters in an experiment. The method is demonstrated for a fed-batch bioreactor case study for optimal estimation of the half-saturation constant KS and the parameter combination µmaxX/Y in which µmax is th

Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) grown in vitro often develop physiological abnormalities such as hyperhydration. The amount of hyperhydration and growth was compared between carnations grown in mist reactors and conventional semisolid micropropagation systems (vented or unvented GA7 culture boxes). Plants grown in the mist reactor with long misting times (10 min h(-1)) produced more dry mass than those grown with <10 min h(-1); however, more misting also produced more hyperhydrated plants (70% hyperhydration). Control of hyperhydration in the mist reactor involved either reducing the overall nutrient mist supply or altering the mist supply throughout the culturing period. Stepped decreases in the mist supply throughout the 3-week period or an overall decrease in the duration of misting reduced hyperhydration to 13% and 5%, respectively. However, for both misting regimes, the biomass of normal (healthy) plants (fresh and dry weights) was limited. Further analysis suggested that, although normal plant biomass increased with longer mist exposure, hyperhydration levels also increased while the water content, based on percent dry weight, approached that of hyperhydrated plants. Sufficient normal plant development (fresh weight, leaf and shoot numbers, height, and rooting) with < 50% hyperhydration was obtained by weekly, stepped increases in the nutrient mist supply.

Methanogenesis in thermophilic biogas reactors fed with different wastes is examined. The specific methanogenic activity with acetate or hydrogen as substrate reflected the organic loading of the specific reactor examined. Increasing the loading of thermophilic reactors stabilized the process...... as indicated by a lower concentration of volatile fatty acids in the effluent from the reactors. The specific methanogenic activity in a thermophilic pilot-plant biogas reactor fed with a mixture of cow and pig manure reflected the stability of the reactor. The numbers of methanogens counted by the most...... against Methanothrix soehngenii or Methanothrix CALS-I in any of the thermophilic biogas reactors examined. Studies using 2-14C-labeled acetate showed that at high concentrations (more than approx. 1 mM) acetate was metabolized via the aceticlastic pathway, transforming the methyl-group of acetate...

As part of the Nuclear Systems Office Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) project, a reactor simulator test loop (RxSim) was design & built to perform integrated testing of the TDU components. In particular, the objectives of RxSim testing was to verify the operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation and control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. In addition, it was decided to include a thermal test of a cold trap purification design and a pump performance test at pump voltages up to 150 V since the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s was not obtained in the RxSim at the originally constrained voltage of 120 V. This paper summarizes RxSim testing. The gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively in NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain operations. The instrumentation and control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings. The cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the cold temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. The annular linear induction pump (ALIP) tested was able to produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz.

Full Text Available In modern petrochemical plants the corporate and societal demands to plant safety and minimum environmental effects are high. These demands rise high performance requirements to the technical systems, specially the process control and safety systems including an effective operator support system with fault detection capability. The systems must have high reliability also against erroneous operations which may cause shutdown situations or quality deviations.

The Lewis Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration proposes to build a nuclear research reactor which will be located in the Plum Brook Ordnance Works near Sandusky, Ohio. The purpose of this report is to inform the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission in regard to the design Lq of the reactor facility, the characteristics of the site, and the hazards of operation at this location. The purpose of this research reactor is to make pumped loop studies of aircraft reactor fuel elements and other reactor components, radiation effects studies on aircraft reactor materials and equipment, shielding studies, and nuclear and solid state physics experiments. The reactor is light water cooled and moderated of the MTR-type with a primary beryllium reflector and a secondary water reflector. The core initially will be a 3 by 9 array of MTR-type fuel elements and is designed for operation up to a power of 60 megawatts. The reactor facility is described in general terms. This is followed by a discussion of the nuclear characteristics and performance of the reactor. Then details of the reactorcontrol system are discussed. A summary of the site characteristics is then presented followed by a discussion of the larger type of experiments which may eventually be operated in this facility. The considerations for normal operation are concluded with a proposed method of handling fuel elements and radioactive wastes. The potential hazards involved with failures or malfunctions of this facility are considered in some detail. These are examined first from the standpoint of preventing them or minimizing their effects and second from the standpoint of what effect they might have on the reactor facility staff and the surrounding population. The most essential feature of the design for location at the proposed site is containment of the maximum credible accident.

A control room is defined as a functional entity with an associated physical structure, where the operators carry out the centralized control, monitoring and administrative responsibilities. Emergency control room acts as an alternative control room for the purpose of shutting down or maintaining the facility in a safe shutdown state when the main control room is uninhabitable. The mission of emergency control room is to provide the resources to bring the plant to a safe shutdown condition after an evacuation of the main control room. An evacuation of the main control room is assumed when there is no possibility to accomplish tasks involved in the shutdown except reactor trip. The purpose of this paper is to present a specific approach for the design of the emergency control room of a nuclear reactor used to produce radioisotope. The approach is based on human factors standards and the participation of a multidisciplinary team in the development phase of the design. Using the information gathered from standards and from the multidisciplinary team a 3D Sketch and a 3D printing of the emergency control room were created. (author)

This study presents a temperature-based control strategy for the stabilization of an anaerobic reactor during organic overloads. To prove feasibility of the proposed approach the rate of methane production was followed in batch activity tests and reactor runs during mesophilic-thermophilic transitions. Within the first 0.25-6 h of temperature augmentation, an increase in the rate of methane production was observed with higher rates measured under thermophilic (above 40 degrees C) conditions. However, 24 h after startup both in batch tests and reactor runs, the rate of methane production under thermophilic conditions was inferior to that under optimal mesophilic conditions (35 degrees C). Following these results, a control strategy based on short-term augmentation of the reactor temperature was proposed and tested in a 10 L UASB reactor. The control strategy employed a multi-model observer-based estimator to stabilize the effluent COD concentration during organic overloads. The temperature-based control resulted in an increased methanization rate and improved reactor stability overall.

Fusion research is currently to a large extent focused on tokamak (ITER) and inertial confinement (NIF) research. In addition to these large international or national efforts there are private companies performing fusion research using much smaller devices than ITER or NIF. The attempt to achieve fusion energy production through relatively small and compact devices compared to tokamaks decreases the costs and building time of the reactors and this has allowed some private companies to enter the field, like EMC2, General Fusion, Helion Energy, Lawrenceville Plasma Physics and Lockheed Martin. Some of these companies are trying to demonstrate net energy production within the next few years. If they are successful their next step is to attempt to commercialize their technology. In this presentation an overview of compact fusion reactor concepts is given.

A design of a reactor is presented in which the fuel elements may be immersed in a liquid coolant when desired without the necessity of removing them from the reactor structure. The fuel elements, containing the fissionable material are in plate form and are disposed within spaced slots in a moderator material, such as graphite to form the core. Adjacent the core is a tank containing the liquid coolant. The fuel elements are mounted in spaced relationship on a rotatable shaft which is located between the core and the tank so that by rotation of the shaft the fuel elements may be either inserted in the slots in the core to sustain a chain reaction or immersed in the coolant.

Nuclear Reactors and Technology (NRT) announces on a monthly basis the current worldwide information available from the open literature on nuclear reactors and technology, including all aspects of power reactors, components and accessories, fuel elements, control systems, and materials. This publication contains the abstracts of DOE reports, journal articles, conference papers, patents, theses, and monographs added to the Energy Science and Technology Database (EDB) during the past month. Also included are US information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through the International Energy Agency's Energy Technology Data Exchange or government-to-government agreements. The digests in NRT and other citations to information on nuclear reactors back to 1948 are available for online searching and retrieval on EDB and Nuclear Science Abstracts (NSA) database. Current information, added daily to EDB, is available to DOE and its contractors through the DOE integrated Technical Information System. Customized profiles can be developed to provide current information to meet each user's needs.

We present a review of the antineutrino spectra emitted from reactors. Knowledge of these spectra and their associated uncertainties is crucial for neutrino oscillation studies. The spectra used to date have been determined either by converting measured electron spectra to antineutrino spectra or by summing over all of the thousands of transitions that make up the spectra, using modern databases as input. The uncertainties in the subdominant corrections to β-decay plague both methods, and we ...

A system for maintaining the alignment of moderator block structures in reactors is presented. Integral restraining grids are placed between each layer of blocks in the moderator structure, at the top of the uppermost layer, and at the bottom of the lowermost layer. Slots are provided in the top and bottom surfaces of the moderator blocks so as to provide a keying action with the grids. The grids are maintained in alignment by vertical guiding members disposed about their peripheries. (AEC)

One of the important issues related to the nuclear safety is in-service inspection of reactor pressure vessel (RPV). A remote controlled automatic ultrasonic method is applied to the inspection. At present the automatic ultrasonic inspection system owned by KAERI is interrupted due to degradation of parts. In order to resume field inspection new remote control system for the equipment was designed and installed to the existing equipment. New ultrasonic sensors and their modules for RPV inspection were designed and fabricated in accordance with the new requirements of the inspection codes. Ultrasonic sensors were verified for the use in the RPV inspection. (autho0008.

GTHTR300 is composed of a simplified and economical power plant based on an inherent safe 600 MWt reactor and a nearly 50% high efficiency gas turbine power conversion cycle. GTHTR300 core consist of annular fuel region, center and outer side reflectors because of cooling it effectively in depressurized accident conditions, and all control rods are located in both side reflectors of annular core. As a thermal neutron spectrum is strongly distorted in reflector regions, an accurate calculation is especially required for the control rod worth evaluation. In this study, we applied the detailed Monte Carlo calculations of a full core model, and confirmed that our design method has enough accuracy. (author)

This report discusses present and planned future work on computerization of the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) Critical Mass Laboratory (CML) Nuclear ReactorControl Console. No computerized control functions are planned or anticipated at this time. The scope of this computerization effort is limited to Data Acquisition and Analysis. In this work an IBM-PC will be connected to four (4) Nuclear Safety channels, and two (2) nonnuclear safety channels. Programming is being done in interpretive advanced BASIC. At the present time only two channels, Linear Picoammeters 1 and 2, are having their signals processed by the IBM-PC.

The project to provide a replacement for Australia's HIFAR reactor began with governmental approval in September 1997 and reached its latest milestone with the achievement of the first full power operation of the OPAL reactor in November 2006. OPAL is a pool-type reactor with a thermal power of 20 MW and a fuel enrichment maximum of 20 per cent. This has been a successful project for both ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) and the contractor INVAP SE. This project was characterised by extensive interaction with the project's stake-holders during project definition and the use of a performance-based turnkey contract which gave the contractor the maximum opportunity to optimise the design to achieve performance and cost effectiveness. The contactor provided significant in-house resources as well as capacity to manage an international team of suppliers and sub-contractors. A key contributor to the project's successful outcomes has been the development and maintenance of an excellent working relationship between ANSTO and INVAP project teams. Commissioning was undertaken in accordance with the IAEA recommended stages. This paper presents the approaches used to define the project requirements, to choose the supplier and to deliver the project. The main results of hot commissioning are reviewed and the problems encountered examined. Operational experience since hot commissioning is also reviewed.

Unfortunately, the major group of the systems in industry has nonlinear behavior and control of such processes with conventional control approaches with fixed parameters causes problems and suboptimal or unstable control results. An adaptive control is one way to how we can cope with nonlinearity of the system. This contribution compares classic adaptive control and its modification with Wiener system. This configuration divides nonlinear controller into the dynamic linear part and the static nonlinear part. The dynamic linear part is constructed with the use of polynomial synthesis together with the pole-placement method and the spectral factorization. The static nonlinear part uses static analysis of the controlled plant for introducing the mathematical nonlinear description of the relation between the controlled output and the change of the control input. Proposed controller is tested by the simulations on the mathematical model of the continuous stirred-tank reactor with cooling in the jacket as a typical nonlinear system. PMID:26346878

The rising concerns about global warming and energy security have spurred a revival of interest in nuclear energy, giving birth to a 'nuclear power renaissance' in several countries in the world. Particularly in Brazil, in the recent years, the nuclear power renaissance can be seen in the actions that comprise its nuclear program, summarily the increase of the investments in nuclear research institutes and the government target to design and build the Brazilian Multipurpose research Reactor (BMR). In the last 50 years, Brazilian research reactors have been used for training, for producing radioisotopes to meet demands in industry and nuclear medicine, for miscellaneous irradiation services and for academic research. Moreover, the research reactors are used as laboratories to develop technologies in power reactors, which are evaluated today at around 450 worldwide. In this application, those reactors become more viable in relation to power reactors by the lowest cost, by the operation at low temperatures and, furthermore, by lower demand for nuclear fuel. In Brazil, four research reactors were installed: the IEA-R1 and the MB-01 reactors, both at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas Nucleares (IPEN, Sao Paulo); the Argonauta, at the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN, Rio de Janeiro) and the IPR-R1 TRIGA reactor, at the Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN, Belo Horizonte). The present paper intends to enumerate the characteristics of these reactors, their utilization and current academic research. Therefore, through this paper, we intend to collaborate on the BMR project. (author)

The rising concerns about global warming and energy security have spurred a revival of interest in nuclear energy, giving birth to a 'nuclear power renaissance' in several countries in the world. Particularly in Brazil, in the recent years, the nuclear power renaissance can be seen in the actions that comprise its nuclear program, summarily the increase of the investments in nuclear research institutes and the government target to design and build the Brazilian Multipurpose research Reactor (BMR). In the last 50 years, Brazilian research reactors have been used for training, for producing radioisotopes to meet demands in industry and nuclear medicine, for miscellaneous irradiation services and for academic research. Moreover, the research reactors are used as laboratories to develop technologies in power reactors, which are evaluated today at around 450 worldwide. In this application, those reactors become more viable in relation to power reactors by the lowest cost, by the operation at low temperatures and, furthermore, by lower demand for nuclear fuel. In Brazil, four research reactors were installed: the IEA-R1 and the MB-01 reactors, both at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas Nucleares (IPEN, Sao Paulo); the Argonauta, at the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear (IEN, Rio de Janeiro) and the IPR-R1 TRIGA reactor, at the Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN, Belo Horizonte). The present paper intends to enumerate the characteristics of these reactors, their utilization and current academic research. Therefore, through this paper, we intend to collaborate on the BMR project. (author)

Nuclear reactors are in nature nonlinear systems and their parameters vary with time as a function of power level. These characteristics must be considered if large power variations occur in power plant operational regimes, such as in load-following conditions. A PWR reactor has a component called pressurizer, whose function is to supply the necessary high pressure for its operation and to contain pressure variations in the primary cooling system. The use of control systems capable of reducing fast variations of the operation variables and to maintain the stability of this system is of fundamental importance. The best-known controllers used in industrial control processes are proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers due to their simple structure and robust performance in a wide range of operating conditions. However, designing a fuzzy controller is seen to be a much less difficult task. Once a Fuzzy Logic controller is designed for a particular set of parameters of the nonlinear element, it yields satisfactory performance for a range of these parameters. The objective of this work is to develop fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (fuzzy-PID) control strategies to control the level of water in the reactor. In the study of the pressurizer, several computer codes are used to simulate its dynamic behavior. At the fuzzy-PID control strategy, the fuzzy logic controller is exploited to extend the finite sets of PID gains to the possible combinations of PID gains in stable region. Thus the fuzzy logic controller tunes the gain of PID controller to adapt the model with changes in the water level of reactor. The simulation results showed a favorable performance with the use to fuzzy-PID controllers. (author)

Development and deployment of small-scale nuclear power reactors and their maintenance, monitoring, and control are part of the mission under the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program. The objectives of this NERI-consortium research project are to investigate, develop, and validate advanced methods for sensing, controlling, monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis of these reactors, and to demonstrate the methods with application to one of the proposed integral pressurized water reactors (IPWR). For this project, the IPWR design by Westinghouse, the International Reactor Secure and Innovative (IRIS), has been used to demonstrate the techniques developed under this project. The research focuses on three topical areas with the following objectives. Objective 1 - Develop and apply simulation capabilities and sensitivity/uncertainty analysis methods to address sensor deployment analysis and small grid stability issues. Objective 2 - Develop and test an autonomous and fault-tolerant control architecture and apply to the IRIS system and an experimental flow control loop, with extensions to multiple reactor modules, nuclear desalination, and optimal sensor placement strategy. Objective 3 - Develop and test an integrated monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis system for SMRs using the IRIS as a test platform, and integrate process and equipment monitoring (PEM) and process and equipment prognostics (PEP) toolboxes. The research tasks are focused on meeting the unique needs of reactors that may be deployed to remote locations or to developing countries with limited support infrastructure. These applications will require smaller, robust reactor designs with advanced technologies for sensors, instrumentation, and control. An excellent overview of SMRs is described in an article by Ingersoll (2009). The article refers to these as deliberately small reactors. Most of these have modular characteristics, with multiple units deployed at the same plant site. Additionally, the topics focus

Although the control rod drive mechanism of an existing large scale light water reactor is generally installed outside the reactor vessel, an in-vessel type control rod drive mechanism (INV-CRDM) is installed inside the reactor vessel. The INV-CRDM contributes to compactness and simplicity of the reactor system, and it can eliminate the possibility of a rod ejection accident. Therefore, INV-CRDM is an important technology adopted in an innovative small reactor. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has developed this type of CRDM driven by an electric motor, which can work under high temperature and high pressure water for the advanced marine reactor. On the basis of this research result, a driving motor coil and a bearing were developed to be used under the high temperature steam, severe condition for an innovative small reactor. About the driving motor, we manufactured the driving motor available for high temperature steam and carried out performance test under room temperature atmosphere to confirm the electric characteristic and coolability of the driving coil. With these test results and the past test results under high temperature water, we analyzed and evaluated the electric performance and coolability of the driving coil under high temperature steam. Concerning bearing, we manufactured the test pieces using some candidate material for material characteristic test and carried out the rolling wear test under high temperature steam to select the material. Consequently, we confirmed that performance of the driving coil for the advanced type driving motor, is enough to be used under high temperature steam. And, we evaluated the performance of the bearing and selected the material of the bearing, which can be used under high temperature steam. From these results, we have obtained the prospect that the INV-CRDM can be used for an innovative small reactor under steam atmosphere could be developed. (author)

Although the control rod drive mechanism of an existing large scale light water reactor is generally installed outside the reactor vessel, an in-vessel type control rod drive mechanism (INV-CRDM) is installed inside the reactor vessel. The INV-CRDM contributes to compactness and simplicity of the reactor system, and it can eliminate the possibility of a rod ejection accident. Therefore, INV-CRDM is an important technology adopted in an innovative small reactor. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has developed this type of CRDM driven by an electric motor, which can work under high temperature and high pressure water for the advanced marine reactor. On the basis of this research result, a driving motor coil and a bearing were developed to be used under the high temperature steam, severe condition for an innovative small reactor. About the driving motor, we manufactured the driving motor available for high temperature steam and carried out performance test under room temperature atmosphere to confirm the electric characteristic and coolability of the driving coil. With these test results and the past test results under high temperature water, we analyzed and evaluated the electric performance and coolability of the driving coil under high temperature steam. Concerning bearing, we manufactured the test pieces using some candidate material for material characteristic test and carried out the rolling wear test under high temperature steam to select the material. Consequently, we confirmed that performance of the driving coil for the advanced type driving motor, is enough to be used under high temperature steam. And, we evaluated the performance of the bearing and selected the material of the bearing, which can be used under high temperature steam. From these results, we have obtained the prospect that the INV-CRDM can be used for an innovative small reactor under steam atmosphere could be developed. (author)

The design, construction and control of artificial self-organized systems modelled on dynamical behaviours of living systems are important issues in biologically inspired engineering. Such systems are usually based on complex reaction dynamics far from equilibrium; therefore, the control of non-equilibrium conditions is required. Here we report a droplet open-reactor system, based on droplet fusion and fission, that achieves dynamical control over chemical fluxes into/out of the reactor for chemical reactions far from equilibrium. We mathematically reveal that the control mechanism is formulated as pulse-density modulation control of the fusion-fission timing. We produce the droplet open-reactor system using microfluidic technologies and then perform external control and autonomous feedback control over autocatalytic chemical oscillation reactions far from equilibrium. We believe that this system will be valuable for the dynamical control over self-organized phenomena far from equilibrium in chemical and biomedical studies.

Full Text Available These days, in times of recession, we are forced by competitiveness and the optimization of production to lower the costs of the temperature control in pharmaceutical batch reactors and increase the quantity and quality of the produced pharmaceutical product (active pharmaceutical substances. Therefore, a control algorithm is needed which provides us rapid and precise temperature control. This paper deals with the development of a control algorithm, where two predictive functional controllers are connected in a cascade for heating and cooling the content of the hybrid batch reactor. The algorithm has to be designed to cope with the constraints and the mixed discrete and continuous nature of the process of heating and cooling. The main goal of the control law is to achieve rapid and exact tracking of the reference temperature, good disturbance rejection and, in particular, a small number of heating and cooling medium switchings. The simulation results of the proposed algorithm give us much better performance compared to a conventional cascade PI algorithm.

Simple diffusion theory cannot be used to evaluate control rod worths in thermal reactors because of the strongly absorbing character of the control material. However, good results can be obtained from a diffusion calculation by representing the absorber slab by means of a suitable pair of internal boundary conditions, ..cap alpha.. and ..beta.., which are ratios of neutron flux to neutron current. Methods for calculating ..cap alpha.. and ..beta.. in the P/sub 1/, P/sub 3/, and P/sub 5/ approximations, with and without scattering, are presented. By appropriately weighting the fine-group blackness coefficients, broad group values, and , are obtained. The technique is applied to the calculation of control rod worths of Cd, Ag-In-Cd, and Hf control elements. Results are found to compare very favorably with detailed Monte Carlo calculations. For control elements whose geometry does not permit a thin slab treatment, other methods are needed for determining the effective diffusion parameters. One such method is briefly discussed and applied to the calculation of control rod worths in the Ford Nuclear Reactor at the University of Michigan. Calculated and measured worths are found to be in good agreement.

These technical specifications are explicit restrictions on the operation of the Savannah River Site K Production Reactor. They are designed to preserve the validity of the plant safety analysis by ensuring that the plant is operated within the required conditions bounded by the analysis, and with the operable equipment that is assumed to mitigate the consequences of an accident. Technical specifications preserve the primary success path relied upon to detect and respond to accidents. This report describes requirements on thermal-hydraulic limits; limiting conditions for operation and surveillance for the reactor, power distribution control, instrumentation, process water system, emergency cooling and emergency shutdown systems, confinement systems, plant systems, electrical systems, components handling, and special test exceptions; design features; and administrative controls.

During the 1960's and early 70's the author performed extensive design studies, analyses, and tests aimed at thermionic reactor concepts that differed significantly from those pursued by other investigators. Those studies, like most others under Atomic Energy Commission (AEC and DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sponsorship, were terminated in the early 1970's. Some of this work was previously published, but much of it was never made available in the open literature. U.S. interest in thermionic reactors resumed in the early 80's, and was greatly intensified by reports about Soviet ground and flight tests in the late 80's. This recent interest resulted in renewed U.S. thermionic reactor development programs, primarily under Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE) sponsorship. Since most current investigators have not had an opportunity to study all of the author's previous work, a review of the highlights of that work may be of value to them. The present paper describes some of the author's conceptual designs and their rationale, and the special analytical techniques developed to analyze their performance. The basic designs, first published in 1963, are based on single-cell converters, either double-ended diodes extending over the full height of the reactor core or single-ended diodes extending over half the core height. In that respect they are similar to the thermionic fuel elements employed in the Topaz-2 reactor subsequently developed in the Soviet Union, copies of which were recently imported by the U.S. As in the Topaz-2 case, electrically heated steady-state performance tests of the converters are possible before fueling. Where the author's concepts differed from the later Topaz-2 design was in the relative location of the emitter and the collector. Placing the fueled emitter on the outside of the cylindrical diodes permits much higher axial conductances to reduce ohmic

Recycle reactors for quality control of catalyst production and for testing new catalysts for known or new processes have the following advantages over tubular reactors: they can reproduce the physical and chemical regime which surrounds the catalyst in a commercial reactor; they can achieve high mass and heat transfer; they exhibit uniform coke deposit; and they provide independence of mass velocity and space velocity. Their disadvantage is the unconventional specification of experiments in terms of discharge concentration which derives from the implicit nature of the basic mathematical relationships. Recycle reactor test methods are outlined for quality control and for testing catalysts, e.g., supported nickel from different manufacturers, for processes whose chemistry is well known. Approaches for testing catalysts for new processes are discussed. The standard recycle reactor developed at Union Carbide Corp. and manufactured by Autoclave Engineers, and several of its modifications are described.

One of the most important issues with respect to nuclear reactors is power control. In this study, we designed a fractional-order sliding mode controller based on a nonlinear fractional-order model of the reactor system in order to track the reference power trajectory and overcome uncertainties and external disturbances. Since not all of the variables in an operating reactor are measurable or specified in the control law, we propose a reduced-order fractional neutron point kinetic (ROFNPK) model based on measurable variables. In the design, we assume the differences between the approximated model and the real system is limited. We use the obtained model in the controller design process and use the Lyapunov method to perform a stability analysis of the closed-loop system. We simulate the proposed reduced-order fractional-order sliding mode controller (ROFOSMC) using Matlab/Simulink, and its performance is compared with that of a reduced order integer-order sliding mode controller (ROIOSMC). Our simulation results indicate an acceptable performance of the proposed approach in tracking the reference power trajectory with respect to ROIOSMC because of faster response of control effort signal and the smaller tracking error. Moreover, the results illustrate the capability of the controller in rejection of the disturbance and the noise signals and the robustness of controller against uncertainty.

Established in the scope of Plan of Action of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (PACTI/MCTI) in 2007, the construction of the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) is on the way. This type of reactor has a broad spectrum of applications in the nuclear field and related technologies such as the radioisotopes used as supplies in the production of radiopharmaceuticals, with very much benefit to the Brazilian society being, therefore, the main goal of the Project. RMB Project consists of the following stages: site selection and site evaluation; design (conceptual design, basic design, detailed design and experimental design); construction (procurement, manufacturing; civil construction; electromechanical construction and assembling); commissioning; operation and decommissioning. Each stage requires adaptation of human resources for the stage schedule execution. The implementation of a project of this magnitude requires a complex project management, which covers not only technical, but also administrative areas. Licensing, financial resources, quality and document control systems, engineering are some of the areas involved in project success. The development of the conceptual and basic designs involved the participation of three main engineering companies. INTERTECHNE Consultores S.A. was in charge of conceptual and basic designs for conventional systems of buildings and infrastructure. INVAP S.E. was responsible for preparing the basic design of the reactor core and annexes. MRS Estudos Ambientais Ltda. has prepared documents for environmental licensing. This paper describes the procedures used during conceptual and basic design stages to control design documentation and flow of this documentation, involving the analysis and incorporation of comments from experts, control and storage of a volume of approximately 15,000 documents. (author)

In this work, an innovative control approach for metal-fueled Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors is proposed. With respect to the classical approach adopted for base-load Nuclear Power Plants, an alternative control strategy for operating the reactor at different power levels by respecting the system physical constraints is presented. In order to achieve a higher operational flexibility along with ensuring that the implemented control loops do not influence the system inherent passive safety features, a dedicated supervisory control scheme for the dynamic definition of the corresponding set-points to be supplied to the PID controllers is designed. In particular, the traditional approach based on the adoption of tabulated lookup tables for the set-point definition is found not to be robust enough when failures of the implemented SISO (Single Input Single Output) actuators occur. Therefore, a feedback algorithm based on the Reference Governor approach, which allows for the optimization of reference signals according to the system operating conditions, is proposed.

As part of the Nuclear Systems Office Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) project, a reactor simulator test loop (RxSim) was design & built to perform integrated testing of the TDU components. In particular, the objectives of RxSim testing was to verify the operation of the core simulator, the instrumentation and control system, and the ground support gas and vacuum test equipment. In addition, it was decided to include a thermal test of a cold trap purification design and a pump performance test at pump voltages up to 150 V since the targeted mass flow rate of 1.75 kg/s was not obtained in the RxSim at the originally constrained voltage of 120 V. This paper summarizes RxSim testing. The gas and vacuum ground support test equipment performed effectively in NaK fill, loop pressurization, and NaK drain operations. The instrumentation and control system effectively controlled loop temperature and flow rates or pump voltage to targeted settings. The cold trap design was able to obtain the targeted cold temperature of 480 K. An outlet temperature of 636 K was obtained which was lower than the predicted 750 K but 156 K higher than the cold temperature indicating the design provided some heat regeneration. The annular linear induction pump (ALIP) tested was able to produce a maximum flow rate of 1.53 kg/s at 800 K when operated at 150 V and 53 Hz. Keywords: fission, space power, nuclear, liquid metal, NaK.

Recent developments in design of laboratory and bench-scale reactors reflect mostly the developments in reaction engineering; that is the improved understanding of physical and chemical rate limiting processes, their interactions, and their effects on commercial-scale reactor performance. Whether a laboratory reactor is used to study the fundamentals of a commercial process or for pure scientific interest, it is important to know what physical or chemical process is limiting or influencing the rate and selectivity. To clarify this, a definition is required of the regime where physical influences exist, and study the intrinsic kinetics at conditions where physical processes do not affect the rate. Reactors are illustrated whose design was influenced by the above considerations. These reactors produce results which are independent of the reactors in which they were measured, and which can be scaled up with up-to-date reaction engineering techniques.

Full Text Available The main objective of this work is to present an alternative methodology for the design of a class of integral high order slidingmodecontroller applied to a class of continuous chemical reactor with complex behavior for temperature tracking purposes.The proposed design is based on the differential geometry framework, where the named reaching trajectory contains a highorder sliding mode term in order to diminish chattering. Considering that the proposed technique is model based, an observerbaseduncertainty estimator is coupled, which provides robustness against model uncertainties and noisy measurements.Numerical simulations are performed in order to show the capacities of the proposed controller, which is compared with othernonlinear methodologies.

In this study, non-sinusoidal quantities and voltage stability, both known as power quality criteria, are examined together in detail. The widespread use of power electronics elements cause the existence of signiﬁcant non-sinusoidal quantities in the system. These non-sinusoidal quantities can create serious harmonic distortions in transmission and distribution systems. In this paper, harmonic generation of a static VAR compensator with thyristor-controlledreactor and effects of the harmonics on steady-state voltage stability are examined for various operational conditions.

The ventilation system of the reactor, has a way in which should work in the event of a nuclear accident. Formerly the change to this emergency way was carried out in manual form manual, when the radioprotection official, detected during the control of the places that the radiation levels had been overcome, informing to the responsible of the control room, so that they change the ventilation system to the emergency way. Considering that this procedure was not the most appropriate for the retarded time in taking the measures correctives, we are decided to carry out in the design and implementation of an automatic system that it acquires the data of the radiation levels of the effluents that are evacuating to the environment, of the SEM1000 equipment and when the reference level is overcome, automatically the designed system will change the operation way the ventilation system to emergency, closing the exit to the exterior and putting it in the recirculation way, for it is used a micro controller PIC 16F877. On the other hand it has been taken to the control room the sign of the SEM1000, as a repeater with the same characteristics of the presentation of data of this equipment. (author)

This contribution explores the use of diagnosis and control modules based on fuzzy set theory and logic for bioreactor monitoring and control. With this aim, two independent modules were used jointly to carry out first the diagnosis of the state of the system and then use transfer this information...... to control the reactor. The separation in diagnosis and control allowed a more intuitive design of the membership functions and the production rules. Hence, the resulting diagnosis-control module is simple to tune, update and maintain while providing a good control performance. In particular the diagnosis-control...... system was designed for a complete autotrophic nitrogen removal process. The whole module is evaluated by dynamic simulation. Additionally, the diagnosis tool was demonstrated by analysis 100 days of experimental data....

This report describes the design, implementation, and application of artificial neural networks to achieve temperature and flow rate control for a simulation of a typical experiment loop in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The goal of the project was to research multivariate, nonlinear control using neural networks. A loop simulation code was adapted for the project and used to create a training set and test the neural network controller for comparison with the existing loop controllers. The results for three neural network designs are documented and compared with existing loop controller action. The neural network was shown to be as accurate at loop control as the classical controllers in the operating region represented by the training set. 9 refs., 28 figs., 2 tabs.

Full Text Available This work concerns designing multiregional supervisory fuzzy PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative control for pH reactors. The proposed work focuses, mainly, on two themes. The first one is to propose a multiregional supervisory fuzzy-based cascade control structure. It would enable modifying dynamics and enhance system’s stability. The fuzzy system (master loop has been chosen as a tuner for PID controller (slave loop. It takes into consideration parameters uncertainties and reference tracking. The second theme concerns designing a hybrid neural network-based pH estimator. The proposed estimator would overcome the industrial drawbacks, that is, cost and size, found with conventional methods for pH measurement. The final end-user-interface (EUI front panel and the results that evaluate the performance of the supervisory fuzzy PID-based control system and hybrid NN-based estimator have been presented using the compatibility found between LabView and MatLab. They lead to conclude that the proposed algorithms are appropriate to systems nonlinearities encountered with pH reactors.

A model-based controller for a catalytic flow reversal reactor (CFRR) was presented. The characteristics-based model predictive control (CBMPC) was used to provide greater accuracy in the prediction of process output variables as well as to ensure the maintenance of safe operating temperatures. Performance of the CBMPC was simulated in order to evaluate combustion of lean methane streams for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Dynamics of the CFRR were described using partial differential equations (PDEs) derived from mass and energy balances. The PDEs were then transformed into an equivalent lumped parameter model, which was in turn used to design the non-linear predictive controller. The prediction horizon was divided into Hp intervals during each half cycle. A constrained quadratic program was then solved to obtain an optimal input sequence. The strategy was then evaluated by applying it to a simple CFRR plant, as well as a more complex plant modelled by a dynamical-dimensional heterogenous model that incorporated the effect of a large insulation layer needed to reduce heat loss from the reactor. Results of the simulations suggested that mass extraction in a CBMPC scheme can be used to maintain safe operating conditions. It was concluded that the strategy provided good control performance for regulation and set point tracking in the presence of inlet disturbances and other changes in operating conditions. 18 refs., 1 tab., 10 figs.

Grid Appropriate Reactors (GARs) are a component of the U.S. Department of Energy s (DOE s) Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) program. GARs have smaller output power (Controls, and Human-Machine Interface (ICHMI) technology development roadmap emphasizing the specific characteristics of GARs [1]. This roadmapping effort builds upon and focuses the recently developed, more general nuclear energy ICHMI technology development roadmap [2]. The combination of the smaller plant size, smaller grids, and deployment in locations without extensive prior nuclear power experience presents particular infrastructure, regulation, design, operational, and safeguards challenges for effective GAR deployment. ICHMI technologies are central to efficient GAR operation and as such are a dimension of each of these challenges. Further, while the particular ICHMI technologies to be developed would be useful at larger power plants, they are not high-priority development items at the larger plants. For example, grid transient resilience would be a useful feature for any reactor/grid combination and indeed would have limited some recent blackout events. However, most large reactors have limited passive cooling features. Large plants with active safety response features will likely preserve trip preferential grid transient response. This contrasts sharply with GARs featuring passive shutdown cooling, which can safely support grid stability during large grid transients. ICHMI technologies ranging from alternative control algorithms to simplified human-interface system

This disclosure includes disinfection reactors and processes for the disinfection of water. Some disinfection reactors include a body that defines an inlet, an outlet, and a spiral flow path between the inlet and the outlet, in which the body is configured to receive water and a disinfectant at the inlet such that the water is exposed to the disinfectant as the water flows through the spiral flow path. Also disclosed are processes for disinfecting water in such disinfection reactors.

This article provides some historical aspects on nuclear reactor design, beginning with PWR development for Naval Propulsion and the first commercial application at Yankee Rowe. Five turning points in reactor design and some safety problems associated with them are reviewed: (1) stability of Dresden-1, (2) ECCS, (3) PRA, (4) TMI-2, and (5) advanced passive LWR designs. While the emphasis is on the thermal-hydraulic aspects, the discussion is also about reactor systems.

Reactors are the key to our future expansion into space. However, there has been some confusion in the public as to whether they are a safe and acceptable technology for use in space. The answer to these questions is explored. The US position is that when reactors are the preferred technical choice, that they can be used safely. In fact, it dies not appear that reactors add measurably to the risk associated with the Space Transportation System.

As one of methods of innovative energy production in fusion reactors without having a conventional turbine-type generator, an efficient use of radiation produced in a fusion reactor with utilizing semiconductor and supplying clean fuel in a form of hydrogen gas are studied. Taking the candidates of reactors such as a toroidal system and an open system for application of the new concepts, the expected efficiency and a concept of plant system are investigated.

Role of fast breeder reactor (FBR) in the Indian context has been discussed with appropriate justification. The FBR programme since 1985 till 2030 is highlighted focussing on the current status and future direction of fast breeder test reactor (FBTR), prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) and FBR-1 and 2. Design and technological challenges of PFBR and design and safety targets with means to achieve the same are the major highlights of this paper.

The concept of a molten salt reactor has existed for nearly sixty years. Previously all work was done during a large collaborative effort at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, culminating in a research reactor which operated for 15,000 hours without major error. This technical success has garnished interest in modern, high temperature, reactor schemes. Research using molten fluoride salts for nuclear applications requires a steady supply of high grade molten salts. There is no bulk supplier of research grade fluoride salts in the world, so a facility which could provide all the salt needed for testing at the University of Wisconsin had to be produced. Two salt purification devices were made for this purpose, a large scale purifier, and a small scale purifier, each designed to clean the salts from impurities and reduce their corrosion potential. As of now, the small scale has performed with flibe salt, hydrogen, and hydrogen fluoride, yielding clean salt. This salt is currently being used in corrosion testing facilities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin. Working with the beryllium based salts requires extensive safety measures and health monitoring to prevent the development of acute or chronic beryllium disease, two pulmonary diseases created by an allergic reaction to beryllium in the lungs. Extensive health monitoring, engineering controls, and environment monitoring had to be set up with the University of Wisconsin department of Environment, Health and Safety. The hydrogen fluoride required for purification was also an extreme health hazard requiring thoughtful planning and execution. These dangers have made research a slow and tedious process. Simple processes, such as chemical handling and clean-up, can take large amounts of ingenuity and time. Other work has complemented the experimental research at Wisconsin to advance high temperature reactor goals. Modeling work has been performed in house to re

An advanced control concept, Predictive Functional Control (PFC), is applied for temperature control of a bench-scaled batch reactor equipped with monofluid heating/cooling system. First principles process models are developed. Based on achieved models, significant process variables, which are difficult or impossible to measure online, are estimated from easily measured variables, and cascade PFC control strategy has been projected and implemented in Matlab R14. The dynamics of individual subunits is explicitly taken into consideration by internal model in the control algorithms, and model uncertainty, various process disturbances are compensated by modification of internal model. The experimental results present an excellent capability of tracking the set point, and the success of PFC technique as a process control paradigm is illustratively demonstrated.

The pressure tubes in CANDU reactors have been operating for times up to about 25 years. The in-reactor performance of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes has been evaluated by sampling and periodic inspection. This paper describes the behaviour and discusses the factors controlling the behaviour of these components in currently operating CANDU reactors. The mechanical properties (such as ultimate tensile strength, UTS, and fracture toughness), and delayed-hydride-cracking properties (crack growth rate Vc, and threshold stress intensity factor, KIH) change with irradiation; the former reach a limiting value at a fluence of Pressure tubes exhibit elongation and diametral expansion. The deformation behaviour is a function of operating conditions and material properties that vary from tube-to-tube and as a function of axial location. Semi-empirical predictive models have been developed to describe the deformation response of average tubes as a function of operating conditions. For corrosion and, more importantly deuterium pickup, semi-empirical predictive models have also been developed to represent the behaviour of an average tube. The effect of material variability on corrosion behaviour is less well defined compared with other properties. Improvements in manufacturing have increased fracture resistance by minimising trace elements, especially H and Cl, and reduced variability by tightening controls on forming parameters, especially hot-working temperatures.

A fluidized bed reactor system which utilizes a fluid phase, a retained fluidized primary particulate phase, and a migratory second particulate phase is described. The primary particulate phase is a particle such as a gel bead containing an immobilized biocatalyst. The secondary particulate phase, continuously introduced and removed in either cocurrent or countercurrent mode, acts in a secondary role such as a sorbent to continuously remove a product or by-product constituent from the fluid phase. Introduction and removal of the sorbent phase is accomplished through the use of feed screw mechanisms and multivane slurry valves. 3 figures.

In 2011, the world population passed 7 billions inhabitants. While this number witnesses the success of humankind on earth, it also rises among other things questions about food supply. Declining live stock in the wild, rising price of energy combined with climatic change give a new economic...... report simulation results. In addition we design and compare dierent regulatory control systems for regulation of SCP production in the U-Loop reactor. The purpose of the regulatory control systems is to keep the process at a steady state and to reject disturbances. We design and implement such control...... systems based upon PID and MPC technology. In particular, we design these control systems such that they can be used as the regulatory layer in a process control hierarchy and enable resilient transition from one operating point to another. The optimal operating points are determined by the real...

Simple diffusion theory cannot be used to evaluate control rod worths in thermal neutron reactors because of the strongly absorbing character of the control material. However, reliable control rod worths can be obtained within the framework of diffusion theory if the control material is characterized by a set of mesh-dependent effective diffusion parameters. For thin slab absorbers the effective diffusion parameters can be expressed as functions of a suitably-defined pair of blackness coefficients. Methods for calculating these blackness coefficients in the P/sub 1/, P/sub 3/, and P/sub 5/ approximations, with and without scattering, are presented. For control elements whose geometry does not permit a thin slab treatment, other methods are needed for determining the effective diffusion parameters. One such method, based on reaction rate ratios, is discussed.

The Department of Energy (DOE) Order DOE 5480.6, Safety of Department of Energy-Owned Nuclear Reactors, establishes reactor safety requirements to assure that reactors are sited, designed, constructed, modified, operated, maintained, and decommissioned in a manner that adequately protects health and safety and is in accordance with uniform standards, guides, and codes which are consistent with those applied to comparable licensed reactors. This document identifies nuclear safety criteria applied to NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) licensed reactors. The titles of the chapters and sections of USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.70, Standard Format and Content of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants, Rev. 3, are used as the format for compiling the NRC criteria applied to the various areas of nuclear safety addressed in a safety analysis report for a nuclear reactor. In each section the criteria are compiled in four groups: (1) Code of Federal Regulations, (2) US NRC Regulatory Guides, SRP Branch Technical Positions and Appendices, (3) Codes and Standards, and (4) Supplemental Information. The degree of application of these criteria to a DOE-owned reactor, consistent with their application to comparable licensed reactors, must be determined by the DOE and DOE contractor.

This article deals with a feature of problems of calculating time-average characteristics of nuclear reactor optimal control sets. The operation of a nuclear reactor during threatened period is considered. The optimal control search problem is analysed. The xenon poisoning causes limitations on the variety of statements of the problem of calculating time-average characteristics of a set of optimal reactor power off controls. The level of xenon poisoning is limited. There is a problem of choosing an appropriate segment of the time axis to ensure that optimal control problem is consistent. Two procedures of estimation of the duration of this segment are considered. Two estimations as functions of the xenon limitation were plot. Boundaries of the interval of averaging are defined more precisely.

Many advanced nuclear power plant (NPP) designs incorporate higher degrees of automation than the existing fleet of NPPs. Automation is being introduced or proposed in NPPs through a wide variety of systems and technologies, such as advanced displays, computer-based procedures, advanced alarm systems, and computerized operator support systems. Additionally, many new reactor concepts, both full scale and small modular reactors, are proposing increased automation and reduced staffing as part of their concept of operations. However, research consistently finds that there is a fundamental tradeoff between system performance with increased automation and reduced human performance. There is a need to address the question of how to achieve high performance and efficiency of high levels of automation without degrading human performance. One example of a new NPP concept that will utilize greater degrees of automation is the SMR concept from NuScale Power. The NuScale Power design requires 12 modular units to be operated in one single control room, which leads to a need for higher degrees of automation in the control room. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) researchers and NuScale Power human factors and operations staff are working on a collaborative project to address the human performance challenges of increased automation and to determine the principles that lead to optimal performance in highly automated systems. This paper will describe this concept in detail and will describe an experimental test of the concept. The benefits and challenges of the approach will be discussed.

This study describes a new procedure to synthesize amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) from well-characterized solutions that maintain a constant supersaturation. The method uses a mixed flow reactor to prepare ACC in significant quantities with consistent compositions. The experimental design utilizes a high-precision solution pump that enables the reactant solution to continuously flow through the reactor under constant mixing and allows the precipitation of ACC to reach steady state. As a proof of concept, we produced ACC with controlled Mg contents by regulating the Mg/Ca ratio of the input solution and the carbonate concentration and pH. Our findings show that the Mg/Ca ratio of the reactant solution is the primary control for the Mg content in ACC, as shown in previous studies, but ACC composition is further regulated by the carbonate concentration and pH of the reactant solution. The method offers promise for quantitative studies of ACC composition and properties and for investigating the role of this phase as a reactive precursor to biogenic minerals.

Fast Reactor Fuel Type and Reactor Safety Performance R. Wigeland , Idaho National Laboratory J. Cahalan, Argonne National Laboratory The sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor is currently being evaluated for the efficient transmutation of the highly-hazardous, long-lived, transuranic elements that are present in spent nuclear fuel. One of the fundamental choices that will be made is the selection of the fuel type for the fast reactor, whether oxide, metal, carbide, nitride, etc. It is likely that a decision on the fuel type will need to be made before many of the related technologies and facilities can be selected, from fuel fabrication to spent fuel reprocessing. A decision on fuel type should consider all impacts on the fast reactor system, including safety. Past work has demonstrated that the choice of fuel type may have a significant impact on the severity of consequences arising from accidents, especially for severe accidents of low probability. In this paper, the response of sodium-cooled fast reactors is discussed for both oxide and metal fuel types, highlighting the similarities and differences in reactor response and accident consequences. Any fast reactor facility must be designed to be able to successfully prevent, mitigate, or accommodate all consequences of potential events, including accidents. This is typically accomplished by using multiple barriers to the release of radiation, including the cladding on the fuel, the intact primary cooling system, and most visibly the reactor containment building. More recently, this has also included the use of ‘inherent safety’ concepts to reduce or eliminate the potential for serious damage in some cases. Past experience with oxide and metal fuel has demonstrated that both fuel types are suitable for use as fuel in a sodium-cooled fast reactor. However, safety analyses for these two fuel types have also shown that there can be substantial differences in accident consequences due to the neutronic and

The final phase of commissioning is reactor performance test, which is to prove the integrated performance and safety of the research reactor at full power with fuel loaded such as neutron power calibration, Control Absorber Rod/Second Shutdown Rod drop time, InC function test, Criticality, Rod worth, Core heat removal with natural mechanism, and so forth. The last test will be safety-related one to assure the result of the safety analysis of the research reactor is marginal enough to be sure about the nuclear safety by showing the reactor satisfies the acceptance criteria of the safety functions such as for reactivity control, maintenance of auxiliaries, reactor pool water inventory control, core heat removal, and confinement isolation. After all, the fuel integrity will be ensured by verifying there is no meaningful change in the radiation levels. To confirm the performance of safety equipment, loss of normal electric power (LOEP), possibly categorized as Anticipated Operational Occurrence (AOO), is selected as a key experiment to figure out how safe the research reactor is before turning over the research reactor to the owner. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the reactor performance test (LOEP) for a research reactor. The results showed how different the transient between conservative estimate and best estimate will look. Preliminary analyses have shown all probable thermal-hydraulic transient behavior of importance as to opening of flap valve, minimum critical heat flux ratio, the change of flow direction, and important values of thermal-hydraulic parameters.

Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor physics analysis is typically performed in three steps. At first, macroscopic cross-sections of the reference lattice is produced by modeling the reference fuel channel. Secondly macroscopic cross-sections of reactivity devices in the reactor are generated. The macroscopic cross-sections of a reactivity device are calculated as incremental cross-sections by subtracting macroscopic cross-sections of a three-dimensional lattice without reactivity device from those of a three-dimensional lattice with a reactivity device. Using the macroscopic cross-sections of the reference lattice and incremental cross-sections of the reactivity devices, reactor physics calculations are performed. This report summarizes input data of typical CANDU reactor physics codes, which can be utilized for the future CANDU reactor physics analysis.

Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor physics analysis is typically performed in three steps. At first, macroscopic cross-sections of the reference lattice is produced by modeling the reference fuel channel. Secondly macroscopic cross-sections of reactivity devices in the reactor are generated. The macroscopic cross-sections of a reactivity device are calculated as incremental cross-sections by subtracting macroscopic cross-sections of a three-dimensional lattice without reactivity device from those of a three-dimensional lattice with a reactivity device. Using the macroscopic cross-sections of the reference lattice and incremental cross-sections of the reactivity devices, reactor physics calculations are performed. This report summarizes input data of typical CANDU reactor physics codes, which can be utilized for the future CANDU reactor physics analysis.

The feasibility of pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) as on-line control parameters to advance nitrogen removal in pulsed sequencing batch reactors (SBR)was evaluated.The pulsed SBR,a novel operational mode of SBR,was utilized to treat real municipal wastewater accompanied with adding ethanol as external carbon source.It was observed that the bending-point (apex and knee) of pH and ORP profiles can be used to control denitrification process at a low influent C/N ratio while dpH/dt can be used to control the nitrification and denitrification process at a high influent C/N ratio.The experimental results demonstrated that the effluent total nitrogen can be reduced to lower than 2 mg/L,and the average total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency was higher than 98% by using real-time controll strategy.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program is collaborating with a U.S. nuclear utility to bring about a systematic fleet-wide control room modernization. To facilitate this upgrade, a new distributed control system (DCS) is being introduced into the control rooms of these plants. The DCS will upgrade the legacy plant process computer and emergency response facility information system. In addition, the DCS will replace an existing analog turbine control system with a display-based system. With technology upgrades comes the opportunity to improve the overall human-system interaction between the operators and the control room. To optimize operator performance, the LWRS Control Room Modernization research team followed a human-centered approach published by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NUREG-0711, Rev. 3, Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model (O’Hara et al., 2012), prescribes four phases for human factors engineering. This report provides examples of the first phase, Planning and Analysis. The three elements of Planning and Analysis in NUREG-0711 that are most crucial to initiating control room upgrades are: • Operating Experience Review: Identifies opportunities for improvement in the existing system and provides lessons learned from implemented systems. • Function Analysis and Allocation: Identifies which functions at the plant may be optimally handled by the DCS vs. the operators. • Task Analysis: Identifies how tasks might be optimized for the operators. Each of these elements is covered in a separate chapter. Examples are drawn from workshops with reactor operators that were conducted at the LWRS Human System Simulation Laboratory HSSL and at the respective plants. The findings in this report represent generalized accounts of more detailed proprietary reports produced for the utility for each plant. The goal of this LWRS report is to disseminate the technique and provide examples sufficient to

A control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) is located in the reactor pool top (Top-mounted) or the room below the reactor pool (Bottom-mounted). The function of the CRDM is to insert, withdraw, or maintain neutron absorbing material at any required position in the reactor core in order to maintain reactivity control of the core. There are so many kinds of CRDMs, such as magnetic-jack type, hydraulic type, rack and pinion type, chain type and linear or rotary step motor and so on. As a part of a new project, we are investigating the bottom-mounted control rod drive mechanism as shown in Fig. 1. To have a better knowledge of the electromagnetic and magnetic characteristics, numerical models of bottom-mounted CEDM are investigated. In this study, we clarified thrust force characteristics of the electromagnet by experiment and simulation, and verified the propriety of the FEM analysis by comparing it with the results

Thermochemical reactor systems that may be used to produce a fuel, and methods of using the thermochemical reactor systems, utilizing a reactive cylindrical element, an optional energy transfer cylindrical element, an inlet gas management system, and an outlet gas management system.

A methodology has been developed for the identification of accident initiating events and the fault modeling of systems, including common mode identification, as these methods are applied in overall test reactor risk assessment. The methods are exemplified by a determination of risks to a loss of primary coolant flow in the Engineering Test Reactor.

Simulation is used to evaluate the performance of a catalytic reactor with permeable wall (membrane reactor) in shifting the equilibrium of three reversible reactions (cyclohexane dehydrogenation, hydrogen iodide decomposition, and propylene disproportionation). It is found that the preferred choice of cocurrernt or countercurrent operation is dependent on the physical properties and operating conditions. Methods of enhancing conversion are suggested and temperature effects are discussed.

Thermochemical reactor systems that may be used to produce a fuel, and methods of using the thermochemical reactor systems, utilizing a reactive cylindrical element, an optional energy transfer cylindrical element, an inlet gas management system, and an outlet gas management system.

The DOE has announced that the High Flux Beam Reactor at Brookhaven is to close for good. Though the news was not unexpected researchers were angry the decision had been taken before the review to assess the impact of reopening the reactor had been concluded (1 page).

An immersion and invariance (I&I) manifold based adaptive control algorithm is presented for a class of continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) to realize performance-oriented control in this paper. The nonlinear contraction method is combined into the control law design to render the closed-loop CSTR system globally asymptotically stable, firstly. Then, the I&I method is used to form the adaptation law such that the off-the-manifold coordinate (the parameter estimation error) converges to zero using P-monotone property enforced by selecting tuning function in manifold. As a result, the state of the closed-loop CSTR converges to its desired value asymptotically. The simulation is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented algorithm.

The reactor R0 is a critical facility built for heavy water and natural uranium or fuel of low enrichment,, The first criticality was achieved September 25, 1959. During a first period of more than two years the R0 will be operated as a bare reactor in order to simplify interpretation of results. The reactor tank is 3. 2 m high and 2. 25 m in diameter. The fuel suspension system is quite flexible in order to facilitate fuel exchange and lattice variations. The temperature of the water can be varied between about 10 and 90 C by means of a heater and a cooler placed in the external circulating system. The instrumentation of the reactor has to meet the safety requirements not only during operation but also during rearrangements of the core in the shut-down state. Therefore, the shut-down state is always defined by a certain low 'safe' moderator level in the reactor tank. A number of safety rods are normally kept above the moderator ready for action. For manual or automatic control of the reactor power a specially designed piston pump is needed, by which the moderator level is varied. The pump speed is controlled from the reactor power error by means of a Ward-Leonard system. Moderator level measurement is made by means of a water gauge with an accuracy of {+-} 0. 1 mm.

In the framework of the Generation IV Sodium Fast Reactor Program, the Advanced Fuel Project has conducted an evaluation of the available fuel systems supporting future sodium cooled fast reactors. This paper presents an evaluation of metallic alloy fuels. Early US fast reactor developers originally favored metal alloy fuel due to its high fissile density and compatibility with sodium. The goal of fast reactor fuel development programs is to develop and qualify a nuclear fuel system that performs all of the functions of a conventional fast spectrum nuclear fuel while destroying recycled actinides. This will provide a mechanism for closure of the nuclear fuel cycle. Metal fuels are candidates for this application, based on documented performance of metallic fast reactor fuels and the early results of tests currently being conducted in US and international transmutation fuel development programs.

The analytical model of nuclear reactor transients, incorporating both mechanical and nuclear effects, simulates reactor kinetics. Linear analysis shows the stability borderline for small power perturbations. In a stable system, initial power disturbances die out with time. With an unstable combination of nuclear and mechanical characteristics, initial disturbances persist and may increase with time. With large instability, oscillations of great magnitude occur. Stability requirements set limits on the power density at which particular reactors can operate. The limiting power density depends largely on the product of two terms: the fraction of delayed neutrons and the frictional damping of vibratory motion in reactor core components. As the fraction of delayed neutrons is essentially fixed, mechanical damping largely determines the maximum power density. A computer program, based on the analytical model, calculates and plots reactor power as a nonlinear function of time in response to assigned values of mechanical and nuclear characteristics.

Various groups have demonstrated that antineutrino monitoring can be successful in assessing the plutonium content in water-cooled nuclear reactors for nonproliferation applications. New reactor designs and concepts incorporate nontraditional fuels types and chemistry. Understanding how these properties affect the antineutrino emission from a reactor can extend the applicability of antineutrino monitoring.Thorium molten salt reactors (MSR) breed U-233, that if diverted constitute an IAEA direct use material. The antineutrino spectrum from the fission of U-233 has been determined, the feasibility of detecting the diversion of a significant quantity, 8 kg of U-233, within the IAEA timeliness goal of 30 days has been evaluated. The antineutrino emission from a thorium reactor operating under normal conditions is compared to a diversion scenario at a 25 meter standoff by evaluating the daily antineutrino count rate and the energy spectrum of the detected antineutrinos. It was found that the diversion of a signifi...

An automatic safety rod for a nuclear reactor containing neutron absorbing material and designed to be inserted into a reactor core after a loss-of-flow. Actuation is based upon either a sudden decrease in core pressure drop or the pressure drop decreases below a predetermined minimum value. The automatic control rod includes a pressure regulating device whereby a controlled decrease in operating pressure due to reduced coolant flow does not cause the rod to drop into the core.

In this study, a microstructured reactor with catalytic nickel plates is newly designed and developed for proper heat management in an exothermic water gas shift WGS reaction. The reactor is designed to increase the reactor capacity simply by numbering-up a set of a catalyst layers and heat exchanger layers. The WGS reactor is built up with two sets of a catalyst layers and heat exchanger layers. The performance of the reactor is verified by WGS testing with the variation of the furnace temperatures, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) and coolant (N2) flow rate. At a GHSV of 10,000 h-1, CO conversion reaches the equilibrium value with a CH4 selectivity of ≤0.5% at the furnace temperature of ≥375 °C. At high GHSV (40,000 h-1), CO conversion decreases considerably because of the heat from the exothermic WGS reaction at a large reactants mass. By increasing the coolant flow rate, the heat from the WGS reaction is properly managed, leading an increase of the CO conversion to the equilibrium value at GHSV of 40,000 h-1.

A combination of the advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis could enable the development of sustainable catalysts with novel reactivity and selectivity. Although heterogeneous catalysts are often recycled more easily than their homogeneous counterparts, they can be difficult to apply in traditional organic reactions and modification of their properties towards a desired reactivity is, at best, complex. In contrast, tuning the properties of homogeneous catalysts by, for example, modifying the ligands that coordinate a metal centre is better understood. Here, using olefin cyclopropanation reactions catalysed by dendrimer-encapsulated Au nanoclusters as examples, we demonstrate that changing the dendrimer properties allows the catalytic reactivity to be tuned in a similar fashion to ligand modification in a homogeneous catalyst. Furthermore, we show that these heterogeneous catalysts employed in a fixed-bed flow reactor allow fine control over the residence time of the reactants and thus enables the control over product distribution in a way that is not easily available for homogeneous catalysts.

Tribological coatings must provide lubrication for moving components of the control drive mechanism for a space reactor and prevent seizing due to friction or diffusion welding to provide highly reliable and precise control of reflector position over the mission lifetime. Several coatings were evaluated based on tribological performance at elevated temperatures and in ultrahigh vacuum environments. Candidates with proven performance in the anticipated environment are limited primarily to disulfide materials. Irradiation data for these coatings is nonexistent. Compatibility issues between coating materials and structural components may require the use of barrier layers between the solid lubricant and structural components to prevent deleterious interactions. It would be advisable to consider possible lubricant interactions prior to down-selection of structural materials. A battery of tests was proposed to provide the necessary data for eventual solid lubricant/coating selection.

The objectives of this thesis are twofold: to determine the highest achievable power levels of the current University of Utah TRIG Reactor (UUTR) core configuration with the existing three control rods, and to design the core for higher reactor power by optimizing the control rod worth. For the current core configuration, the maximum reactor power, eigenvalue keff, shutdown margin, and excess reactivity have been measured and calculated. These calculated estimates resulted from thermal power calibrations, and the control rod worth measurements at various power levels. The results were then used as a benchmark to verify the MCNP5 core simulations for the current core and then to design a core for higher reactor power. This study showed that the maximum achievable power with the current core configuration and control rod system is 150kW, which is 50kW higher than the licensed power of the UUTR. The maximum achievable UUTR core power with the existing fuel is determined by optimizing the core configuration and control rod worth, showing that a power upgrade of 500 kW is achievable. However, it requires a new control rod system consisting of a total of four control rods. The cost of such an upgrade is $115,000.

An anaerobic fluidized bed reactor was used to assess the degradation of the surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). The reactor was inoculated with sludge from an UASB reactor treating swine wastewater and was fed with a synthetic substrate supplemented with LAS. Sand was used as support material for biomass immobilization. The reactor was kept in a controlled temperature chamber (30±1 ºC) and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 18 h. The LAS concentration was gradually...

This document is a compilation and source list of nuclear safety criteria that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) applies to licensed reactors; it can be used by DOE and DOE contractors to identify NRC criteria to be evaluated for application to the DOE reactors under their cognizance. The criteria listed are those that are applied to the areas of nuclear safety addressed in the safety analysis report of a licensed reactor. They are derived from federal regulations, USNRC regulatory guides, Standard Review Plan (SRP) branch technical positions and appendices, and industry codes and standards.

The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, under its programmatic responsibility for managing the University Research Reactor Conversions, has completed the conversion of the reactor at Purdue University Reactor. With this work completed and in anticipation of other impending conversion projects, the INL convened and engaged the project participants in a structured discussion to capture the lessons learned. The lessons learned process has allowed us to capture gaps, opportunities, and good practices, drawing from the project team’s experiences. These lessons will be used to raise the standard of excellence, effectiveness, and efficiency in all future conversion projects.

The argument of the present Patent is a radiation shield suitable for protection of personnel from both gamma rays and neutrons. Such a shield from dangerous radiations is achieved to the best by the combined action of a neutron slowing material (a moderator) and a neutron absorbing material. Hydrogen is particularly effective for this shield since it is a good absorber of slow neutrons and a good moderator of fast neutrons. The neutrons slowed down by hydrogen may, then, be absorbed by other materials such as boron, cadmium, gadolinium, samarium or steel. Steel is particularly convenient for the purpose, given its effectiveness in absorbing also the gamma rays from the reactor (both primary gamma rays and secondary ones produced by the moderation of neutrons). In particular, in the present Patent a shield is described, made of alternate layers of steel and Masonite (an hydrolized ligno-cellulose material). The object of the present Patent is not discussed in any other published paper.

A description is given of the electron-antineutrino program using a large fission reactor. A search has been made for a neutral weak interaction via the reaction (electron antineutrino + d .> p + n + electron antineutrino), the reaction (electron antineutrino + d .> n + n + e{sup +}) has now been detected, and an effort is underway to observe the elastic scattering reaction (electron antineutrino + e{sup -} .> electron antineutrino + e{sup -}) as well as to measure more precisely the reaction (electron antineutrino + p .> n + e{sup+}). The upper limit on the elastic scattering reaction which we have obtained with our large composite NaI, plastic, liquid scintillation detector is now about 50 times the predicted value.

The purpose of this letter is to submit the Reactor Instrumentation and Control (I&C) software life cycle, development methodology, and programming language selections and rationale for project Prometheus to NR for approval. This letter also provides the draft Reactor I&C Software Development Process Manual and Reactor Module Software Development Plan to NR for information.

DOE has formed a Nuclear Facilities Personnel Qualification and Training (NFPQT) Committee to assess the implications of the Report of the President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island that are applicable to DOE's nuclear reactor operations. Thirteen DOE nuclear reactors were reviewed by the Committee. This report was prepared to provide a measure of how the radiological control and environmental practices at the 13 individual DOE reactor facilities measure up to (1) the recommendations contained in the Report of the President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island, (2) the requirements and guidelines contained, and (3) the requirements of the applicable Title and Part of the Code of Federal Regulations.

A review of the Savannah River Site production reactor systems was initiated in 1980 and led to implementation of the Reactor Materials Program in 1984 to assess reactor safety and reactor service life. The program evaluated performance of the reactor tanks, primary coolant piping, and thermal shields, components of welded construction that were fabricated from Type 304 stainless steel. The structural integrity analysis of the primary coolant system has shown that the pressure boundary is not susceptible to gross rupture, including a double ended guillotine break or equivalent large area bank. Residual service life is potentially limited by two material degradation modes, irradiation damage and intergranular stress corrosion cracking. Analysis of the structural integrity of the tanks and piping has shown that continued safe operation of the reactors for several additional decades is not limited by the material performance of the primary coolant system. Although irradiation damage has not degraded material behavior to an unacceptable level, past experience has revealed serious difficulties with repair welding on irradiated stainless steel. Stress corrosion can be mitigated by newly identified limits on impurity concentrations in the coolant water and by stress mitigation of weld residual stresses. Work continues in several areas: the effects of helium on mechanical behavior of irradiated stainless steel; improved weld methods for piping and the reactor tanks; and a surveillance program to track irradiation effects on the tank walls.

A review of the Savannah River Site production reactor systems was initiated in 1980 and led to implementation of the Reactor Materials Program in 1984 to assess reactor safety and reactor service life. The program evaluated performance of the reactor tanks, primary coolant piping, and thermal shields, components of welded construction that were fabricated from Type 304 stainless steel. The structural integrity analysis of the primary coolant system has shown that the pressure boundary is not susceptible to gross rupture, including a double ended guillotine break or equivalent large area bank. Residual service life is potentially limited by two material degradation modes, irradiation damage and intergranular stress corrosion cracking. Analysis of the structural integrity of the tanks and piping has shown that continued safe operation of the reactors for several additional decades is not limited by the material performance of the primary coolant system. Although irradiation damage has not degraded material behavior to an unacceptable level, past experience has revealed serious difficulties with repair welding on irradiated stainless steel. Stress corrosion can be mitigated by newly identified limits on impurity concentrations in the coolant water and by stress mitigation of weld residual stresses. Work continues in several areas: the effects of helium on mechanical behavior of irradiated stainless steel; improved weld methods for piping and the reactor tanks; and a surveillance program to track irradiation effects on the tank walls.

The techniques used to fabricate cermet bearings for the fueled control drums of a liquid metal cooled reference-design reactor concept are presented. The bearings were designed for operation in lithium for as long as 5 years at temperatures to 1205 C. Two sets of bearings were fabricated from a hafnium carbide - 8-wt. % molybdenum - 2-wt. % niobium carbide cermet, and two sets were fabricated from a hafnium nitride - 10-wt. % tungsten cermet. Procedures were developed for synthesizing the material in high purity inert-atmosphere glove boxes to minimize oxygen content in order to enhance corrosion resistance. Techniques were developed for pressing cylindrical billets to conserve materials and to reduce machining requirements. Finishing was accomplished by a combination of diamond grinding, electrodischarge machining, and diamond lapping. Samples were characterized in respect to composition, impurity level, lattice parameter, microstructure and density.

We have tested the suitability of a miniaturized infrared sensor for measurements of CO and H{sub 2}O in the inlet stream to the Palladium Membrane Reactor (PMR). We demonstrated that both analytes can be measured with absolute accuracies of 2-4% at the process inlet conditions of 120-140 C and approximately 1 atm of each gas. This accuracy must be improved to 1-1.5% for effective PMR process control. The use of a reference detector and independent temperature and pressure measurements to correct the raw signals will improve the accuracy to a level that will approach, if not meet, this goal. With appropriate bandpass filters, the infrared sensors may be used for other gas analysis applications.

Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is a maturing process technology that shows potential for spacecraft life support system application. Incorporating PCO into a spacecraft cabin atmosphere revitalization system requires an understanding of basic performance, particularly with regard to partial oxidation product production. Four PCO reactor design concepts have been evaluated for their effectiveness for mineralizing key trace volatile organic com-pounds (VOC) typically observed in crewed spacecraft cabin atmospheres. Mineralization efficiency and selectivity for partial oxidation products are compared for the reactor design concepts. The role of PCO in a spacecraft s life support system architecture is discussed.

This research is to solve the stability analysis issue of nonlinear pressurized water reactor cores. On the basis of modeling a nonlinear pressurized water reactor core using the lumped parameter method, its linearized model is achieved via the small perturbation linearization way. Linearized models of the nonlinear core at six power levels are selected as local models of this core. The T-S fuzzy idea for the core is exploited to construct the T-S fuzzy model of the nonlinear core based on th...

Full Text Available Control rod reactivity (worths for the three control rods and fuel rod power peaking factors in the University of Utah research reactor (100 kW TRIGA Mark I are characterized using the AGENT code system and the results described in this paper. These values are compared to the MCNP6 and existing experimental measurements. In addition, the eigenvalue, neutron spatial flux distributions and reaction rates are analyzed and discussed. The AGENT code system is widely benchmarked for various reactor types and complexities in their geometric arrangements of the assemblies and reactor core material distributions. Thus, it is used as a base methodology to evaluate neutronics variables of the research reactor at the University of Utah. With its much shorter computation time than MCNP6, AGENT provides agreement with the MCNP6 within a 0.5 % difference for the eigenvalue and a maximum difference of 10% in the power peaking factor values. Differential and integral control rod worths obtained by AGENT show well agreement with MCNP6 and the theoretical model. However, regulating the control rod worth is somewhat overestimated by both MCNP6 and AGENT models when compared to the experimental/theoretical values. In comparison to MCNP6, the total control rod worths and shutdown margin obtained with AGENT show better agreement to the experimental values.

Stellarators have significant operational advantages over tokamaks as ignited steady-state reactors because stellarators have no dangerous disruptions and no need for continuous current drive or power recirculated to the plasma, both easing the first wall, blanket, and shield design; less severe constraints on the plasma parameters and profiles; and better access for maintenance. This study shows that a reactor based on the torsatron configuration (a stellarator variant) could also have up to double the mass utilization efficiency (MUE) and a significantly lower cost of electricity (COE) than a conventional tokamak reactor (ARIES-I) for a range of assumptions. Torsatron reactors can have much smaller coil systems than tokamak reactors because the coils are closer to the plasma and they have a smaller cross section (higher average current density because of the lower magnetic field). The reactor optimization approach and the costing and component models are those used in the current stage of the ARIES-I tokamak reactor study. Typical reactor parameters for a 1-GW(e) Compact Torsatron reactor example are major radius R[sub 0] = 6.6-8.8 m, on-axis magnetic field B[sup 0] = 4.8-7.5 T, B[sub max] (on coils) = 16 T, MUE 140-210 kW(e)/tonne, and COE (in constant 1990 dollars) = 67-79 mill/kW(e)h. The results are relatively sensitive to assumptions on the level of confinement improvement and the blanket thickness under the inboard half of the helical windings but relatively insensitive to other assumptions.

The development of a software is presented that simulates the punctual kinetics of a nuclear reactor of investigation model TRIGA Mark III, generating the answers of the reactor low different algorithms of control of power. The user requires a graphic interface that allows him easily interacting with the simulator. To achieve the proposed objective, first the system was modeled in open loop, not using a mathematical model of the consistent reactor in a system of linear ordinary differential equations. For their solution in real time the numeric method of Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg was used. As second phase, it was modeled to the system in closed loop, using for it an algorithm of control of the power based on fuzzy logic. This software has as purpose to help the investigator in the control area who will be able to prove different algorithms for the control of the power of the reactor. This is achieved using the code source in language C, C++, Visual Basic, with which a file is generated. DLL and it is inserted in the simulator. Then they will be able to visualize the results as if their controller had installed in the reactor, analyzing the behavior of all his variables that will be stored in files, for his later study. The easiness of proving these control algorithms in the reactor without necessity to make it physically has important consequences as the saving in the expense of fuel, the not generation of radioactive waste and the most important thing, one doesn't run any risk. The simulator can be used how many times it is necessary until the total purification of the algorithm. This program is the base for following investigation processes, enlarging the capacities and options of the same one. The program fulfills the time of execution satisfactorily, assisting to the necessity of visualizing the behavior in real time of the reactor, and it responds from an effective way to the petitions of changes of power on the part of the user. (Author)

Differences in the ways in which vendors expect the operations staff to interact with advanced passive plants by vendors have led to a need for reconsideration of the minimum shift staffing requirements of licensed Reactor Operators and Senior Reactor Operators contained in current federal regulations (i.e., 10 CFR 50.54(m)). A research project is being carried out to evaluate the impact(s) of advanced passive plant design and staffing of control room crews on operator and team performance. The purpose of the project is to contribute to the understanding of potential safety issues and provide data to support the development of design review guidance. Two factors are being evaluated across a range of plant operating conditions: control room crew staffing; and characteristics of the operating facility itself, whether it employs conventional or advanced, passive features. This paper presents the results of the first phase of the study conducted at the Loviisa nuclear power station earlier this year. Loviisa served as the conventional plant in this study. Data collection from four crews were collected from a series of design basis scenarios, each crew serving in either a normal or minimum staffing configuration. Results of data analyses show that crews participating in the minimum shift staffing configuration experienced significantly higher workload, had lower situation awareness, demonstrated significantly less effective team performance, and performed more poorly as a crew than the crews participating in the normal shift staffing configuration. The baseline data on crew configurations from the conventional plant setting will be compared with similar data to be collected from the advanced plant setting, and a report prepared providing the results of the entire study.

Human factors is a body of scientific factors about human characteristics, covering biomedical, psychological and psychosocial considerations, including principles and applications in the personnel selection areas, training, job performance aid tools and human performance evaluation. Control Centre is a combination of control rooms, control suites and local control stations which are functionally related and all on the same site. Digital control room includes an arrangement of systems, equipment such as computers and communication terminals and workstations at which control and monitoring functions are conducted by operators. Inadequate integration between control room and operators reduces safety, increases the operation complexity, complicates operator training and increases the likelihood of human errors occurrence. The objective of this paper is to present a specific approach for the conceptual and basic design of the control centre and workstation of a nuclear reactor used to produce radioisotope. The approach is based on human factors standards, guidelines and the participation of a multidisciplinary team in the conceptual and basic phases of the design. Using the information gathered from standards and from the multidisciplinary team, an initial sketch 3D of the control centre and workstation are being developed. (author)

Safety of VVER-440 Reactors endeavours to promote an increase in the safety of VVER-440 nuclear reactors via the improvement of fission products limitation systems and the implementation of special non-destructive spectroscopic methods for materials testing. All theoretical and experimental studies performed the by author over the last 25 years have been undertaken with the aim of improving VVER-440 defence in depth, which is one of the most important principle for ensuring safety in nuclear power plants. Safety of VVER-440 Reactors is focused on the barrier system through which the safety pri

Random Processes in Nuclear Reactors describes the problems that a nuclear engineer may meet which involve random fluctuations and sets out in detail how they may be interpreted in terms of various models of the reactor system. Chapters set out to discuss topics on the origins of random processes and sources; the general technique to zero-power problems and bring out the basic effect of fission, and fluctuations in the lifetime of neutrons, on the measured response; the interpretation of power reactor noise; and associated problems connected with mechanical, hydraulic and thermal noise sources

The huge neutron fluxes offer the possibility to use research reactors to produce isotopes of interest, which can be investigated afterwards. An example is the half-lives of long-lived isotopes like 129I. A direct usage of reactor neutrons in the astrophysical energy regime is only possible, if the corresponding ions are not at rest in the laboratory frame. The combination of an ion storage ring with a reactor and a neutron guide could open the path to direct measurements of neutron-induced cross sections on short-lived radioactive isotopes in the astrophysically interesting energy regime.

A nuclear reactor having a coolant flow deflector secured to a reactor core barrel in line with a coolant inlet nozzle. The flow deflector redirects incoming coolant down an annulus between the core barrel and the reactor vessel. The deflector has a main body with a front side facing the fluid inlet nozzle and a rear side facing the core barrel. The rear side of the main body has at least one protrusion secured to the core barrel so that a gap exists between the rear side of the main body adjacent the protrusion and the core barrel. Preferably, the protrusion is a relief that circumscribes the rear side of the main body.

The uranium from the enrichment plant is still in the form of UF6. UF6 is not suitable for use in a reactor due to its highly corrosive chemistry as well as its phase diagram. UF6 is converted into UO2 fuel pellets, which are in turn placed in fuel rods and assemblies. Reactor designs are variable in moderators, coolants, fuel, performance etc.The dream of energy ‘too-cheap to meter’ is no more, and now the nuclear power industry is pushing ahead with advanced reactor designs.

This thesis describes new models and investigations into switching transient phenomena related to the shunt reactors and the Mechanically Switched Capacitor with Damping Network (MSCDN) operations used for reactive power control in the transmission system. Shunt reactors and MSCDN are similar in that they have reactors. A shunt reactor is connected parallel to the compensated lines to absorb the leading current, whereas the MSCDN is a version of a capacitor bank designed as a C-type filter for use in the harmonic-rich environment. In this work, models have been developed and transient overvoltages due to shunt reactor deenergisation were estimated analytically using MathCad, a mathematical program. Computer simulations used the ATP/EMTP program to reproduce both single-phase and three-phase shunt reactor switching at 275 kV operational substations. The effect of the reactor switching on the circuit breaker grading capacitor was also examined by considering various switching conditions.. The main original achievement of this thesis is the clarification of failure mechanisms occurring in the air-core filter reactor due to MSCDN switching operations. The simulation of the MSCDN energisation was conducted using the ATP/EMTP program in the presence of surge arresters. The outcome of this simulation shows that extremely fast transients were established across the air-core filter reactor. This identified transient event has led to the development of a detailed air-core reactor model, which accounts for the inter-turn RLC parameters as well as the stray capacitances-to-ground. These parameters are incorporated into the transient simulation circuit, from which the current and voltage distribution across the winding were derived using electric field and equivalent circuit modelling. Analysis of the results has revealed that there are substantial dielectric stresses imposed on the winding insulation that can be attributed to a combination of three factors. (i) First, the

Anaerobic digestion is a very complex process that is mediated by various microorganisms, and the understanding of the microbial community assembly and its corresponding function is critical in order to better control the anaerobic process. The present study investigated the effect of different inocula on the microbial community assembly in biogas reactors treating cellulose with various inocula, and three parallel biogas reactors with the same inoculum were also operated in order to reveal the reproducibility of both microbial communities and functions of the biogas reactors. The results showed that the biogas production, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and pH were different for the biogas reactors with different inocula, and different steady-state microbial community patterns were also obtained in different biogas reactors as reflected by Bray-Curtis similarity matrices and taxonomic classification. It indicated that inoculum played an important role in shaping the microbial communities of biogas reactor in the present study, and the microbial community assembly in biogas reactor did not follow the niche-based ecology theory. Furthermore, it was found that the microbial communities and reactor performances of parallel biogas reactors with the same inoculum were different, which could be explained by the neutral-based ecology theory and stochastic factors should played important roles in the microbial community assembly in the biogas reactors. The Bray-Curtis similarity matrices analysis suggested that inoculum affected more on the microbial community assembly compared to stochastic factors, since the samples with different inocula had lower similarity (10-20 %) compared to the samples from the parallel biogas reactors (30 %).

In recent years the nuclear reactor designs for the electricity generation have increased their costs, so that at the moment costs are managed of around the 5000 US D for installed kw, reason for which a big nuclear plant requires of investments of the order of billions of dollars, the designed reactors as modular of low power seek to lighten the initial investment of a big reactor dividing the power in parts and dividing in modules the components to lower the production costs, this way it can begin to build a module and finished this to build other, differing the long term investment, getting less risk therefore in the investment. On the other hand the reactors of low power can be very useful in regions where is difficult to have access to the electric net being able to take advantage of the thermal energy of the reactor to feed other processes like the water desalination or the vapor generation for the processes industry like the petrochemical, or even more the possible hydrogen production to be used as fuel. In this work the possibility to generate vapor of high quality for the petrochemical industry is described using a spheres bed reactor of high temperature. (Author)

The theory of breeder reactors in relationship to a discussion of fission is presented. Different kinds of reactors are characterized by the cooling fluids used, such as liquid metal, gas, and molten salt. The historical development of breeder reactors over the past twenty-five years includes specific examples of reactors. The location and a brief…

We discuss the evolution of the tandem mirror reactor concept from the original conceptual reactor design (1977) through the first application of the thermal barrier concept to a reactor design (1979) to the beginning of the Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (1982).

The FASTER test reactor plant is a sodium-cooled fast spectrum test reactor that provides high levels of fast and thermal neutron flux for scientific research and development. The 120MWe FASTER reactor plant has a superheated steam power conversion system which provides electrical power to a local grid allowing for recovery of operating costs for the reactor plant.

The FASTER reactor plant is a sodium-cooled fast spectrum test reactor that provides high levels of fast and thermal neutron flux for scientific research and development. The 120MWe FASTER reactor plant has a superheated steam power conversion system which provides electrical power to a local grid allowing for recovery of operating costs for the reactor plant.

This presentation describes the different activities in the research reactor field that are being carried out by INVAP. INVAP is presently involved in the design of three new research reactors in three different countries. The RA-10 is a multipurpose reactor, in Argentina, planned as a replacement for the RA-3 reactor. INVAP was contracted by CNEA for carrying out the preliminary engineering for this reactor, and has recently been contracted by CNEA for the detailed engineering. CNEA groups are strongly involved in the design of this reactor. The RMB is a multipurpose reactor, planned by CNEN from Brazil. CNEN, through REDETEC, has contracted INVAP to carry out the preliminary engineering for this reactor. As the user requirements for RA-10 and RMB are very similar, an agreement was signed between Argentina and Brasil governments to cooperate in these two projects. The agreement included that both reactors would use the OPAL reactor in Australia, design and built by INVAP, as a reference reactor. INVAP has also designed the LPRR reactor for KACST in Saudi Arabia. The LPRR is a 30 kw reactor for educational purposes. KACST initially contracted INVAP for the engineering for this reactor and has recently signed the contract with INVAP for building the reactor. General details of these three reactors will be presented.

Full Text Available In this paper, a nominal SISO (Single Input Single Output model of PHWR (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor type nuclear power plant is developed based on normal moderator pump-up rate capturing the moderator level dynamics using system identification technique. As the plant model is not exact, therefore additive and multiplicative uncertainty modeling is required. A robust perturbed plant model is derived based on worst case model capturing slowest moderator pump-up rate dynamics and moderator control valve opening delay. Both nominal and worst case models of PHWR-type nuclear power plant have ARX (An Autoregressive Exogenous structures and the parameters of both models are estimated using recursive LMS (Least Mean Square optimization algorithm. Nominal and worst case discrete plant models are transformed into frequency domain for robust controller design purpose. The closed loop system is configured into two port model form and H? robust controller is synthesized. The H?controller is designed based on singular value loop shaping and desired magnitude of control input. The selection of desired disturbance attenuation factor and size of the largest anticipated multiplicative plant perturbation for loop shaping of H? robust controller form a constrained multi-objective optimization problem. The performance and robustness of the proposed controller is tested under transient condition of a nuclear power plant in Pakistan and found satisfactory.

Full Text Available In this article, multi-input multi-output (MIMO linear model predictive controller (LMPC based on state space model and nonlinear model predictive controller based on neural network (NNMPC are applied on a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR. The idea is to have a good control system that will be able to give optimal performance, reject high load disturbance, and track set point change. In order to study the performance of the two model predictive controllers, MIMO Proportional-Integral-Derivative controller (PID strategy is used as benchmark. The LMPC, NNMPC, and PID strategies are used for controlling the residual concentration (CA and reactor temperature (T. NNMPC control shows a superior performance over the LMPC and PID controllers by presenting a smaller overshoot and shorter settling time.

An instrumentation system has been developed for one of the Danish Atomic Energy Commission's research reactors as part of an experiment on the advantages to be gained by the use of digital computers in a process plant application. Problem areas to be investigated include (a) reliability and safety...

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The overall objective of the Phase 1 effort was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the Advanced Carbothermal Electric (ACE) Reactor concept. Unlike...

Mobile reactor design in the paper is consisted of two grades of thermal electric conversion. The first grade is the thermionic conversion inside the core and the second grade is thermocouple conversion

Naturally occurring nuclear reactors existed in uranium deposits on Earth long before Enrico Fermi built the first man-made nuclear reactor beneath Staggs Field in 1942. In the story of their discovery, there are important lessons to be learned about scientific inquiry and scientific discovery. Now, there is evidence to suggest that the Earth's magnetic field and Jupiter's atmospheric turbulence are driven by planetary-scale nuclear reactors. The subject of planetocentric nuclear fission reactors can be a jumping off point for stimulating classroom discussions about the nature and implications of planetary energy sources and about the geomagnetic field. But more importantly, the subject can help to bring into focus the importance of discussing, debating, and challenging current thinking in a variety of areas.

An outline is given of containment concepts, sources and release rates of energy, responses of containment structures, effects of projectiles, and leakage rates of radioisotopes, with particular regard to major reactor accidents. (T.F.H.)

Industrial hydrogenation is often performed using a slurry catalyst in large stirred-tank reactors. These systems are inherently problematic in a number of areas, including industrial hygiene, process safety, environmental contamination, waste production, process operability and productivity. This program proposed the development of a practical replacement for the slurry catalysts using a novel fixed-bed monolith catalyst reactor, which could be retrofitted onto an existing stirred-tank reactor and would mitigate many of the minitations and problems associated with slurry catalysts. The full retrofit monolith system, consisting of a recirculation pump, gas/liquid ejector and monolith catalyst, is described as a monolith loop reactor or MLR. The MLR technology can reduce waste and increase raw material efficiency, which reduces the overall energy required to produce specialty and fine chemicals.

Space reactors are designed to meet a unique set of requirements; they must be sufficiently compact to be launched in a rocket to their operational location, operate for many years without maintenance and servicing, operate in extreme environments, and reject heat by radiation to space. To meet these restrictions, operating temperatures are much greater than in terrestrial power plants, and the reactors tend to have a fast neutron spectrum. Currently, a new generation of space reactor power plants is being developed. The major effort is in the SP-100 program, where the power plant is being designed for seven years of full power, and no maintenance operation at a reactor outlet operating temperature of 1350 K.

Since the shutdown of the SILOE reactor in 1997, the OSIRIS reactor has ensured the needs regarding technological irradiation at CEA including those of its industrial partners and customers. The Jules Horowitz Reactor will replace it. It has the ambition to provide the necessary nuclear data and maintain a fission research capacity in Europe after 2010. This capacity should be service-oriented. It will be established in Cadarache. The Jules Horowitz reactor will also: - represent a significant step in term of performances and experimental capabilities, - be designed with a high flexibility, in order to satisfy the current demand from European industry, research and be able to accommodate future requirements, - reach a high level of safety, according to the best current practice. This paper will present the main functionalities and the design options resulting from the 'preliminary design' studies. (authors)

Short-baseline reactor neutrino experiments successfully measured the neutrino parameters they set out to measure, but they also identified a shape distortion in the 5-7 MeV range as well as a reduction from the predicted value of the flux. Nuclear physics input into the calculations of reactor antineutrino spectra needs to be better refined if this anomaly is to be interpreted as due to sterile neutrino states.

Affordable planning and execution of prolonged manned space missions depend upon the utilization of local resources and the waste products which are formed in manned spacecraft and surface bases. Successful in-situ resources utilization (ISRU) will require component technologies which provide optimal size, weight, volume, and power efficiency. Microchannel reactors enable the efficient chemical processing of in situ resources. The reactors can be designed for the processes that generate the most benefit for each mission. For instance, propellants (methane) can be produced from carbon dioxide from the Mars atmosphere using the Sabatier reaction and ethylene can be produced from the partial oxidation of methane. A system that synthesizes ethylene could be the precursor for systems to synthesize ethanol and polyethylene. Ethanol can be used as a nutrient for Astrobiology experiments, as well as the production of nutrients for human crew (e.g. sugars). Polyethylene can be used in the construction of habitats, tools, and replacement parts. This paper will present recent developments in miniature chemical reactors using advanced Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and microchannel technology to support ISRU of Mars and lunar missions. Among other applications, the technology has been demonstrated for the Sabatier process and for the partial oxidation of methane. Microchannel reactors were developed based on ceramic substrates as well as metal substrates. In both types of reactors, multiple layers coated with catalytic material are bonded, forming a monolithic structure. Such reactors are readily scalable with the incorporation of extra layers. In addition, this reactor structure minimizes pressure drop and catalyst settling, which are common problems in conventional packed bed reactors.

A special procedure for the HANARO facility has been developed to dis-set up extraordinary the some space of radiation controlled area in the reactor building which being used for 14 years after the first criticality, Feb. 1995. The procedure was intended to install the system and structures for Cold Neutron Source inside the reactor building. Because it is a very rare case in the world, there should be required to review several technical points of view. The reviewed items are following like this 1) basis to setup or dis-setup radiation controlled area, 2) maintain the physical protection for the reactor building, 3) maintain the radiation safety, 4) evaluation on the environment status of radiation and radioactivity, 5) operation procedure for the area which was temporary changed to normal, 6) maintain procedure for the confinement building, 7) maintain procedure for the radiation in working area, 8) procedure for the fire prevention, 9) evaluation on the combustible possibility for the nuclear source kept in reactor building, 10) action procedure for the emergency condition, 11) procedure to restore the changed area to the former condition. Conclusively, the developed procedure has been approved throughout the above described technical points and pre-inspection by regulatory body. By using the procedure, not only the installation of the system and structures for Cold Neutron Source has been completed on the schedule but also the amount of radioactive waste has been minimized smaller than that of the controlled area. This report proposed a case of extraordinary dis-set up the radiation controlled area in the reactor building which is being operated for long time as a nuclear facility. Not much things to be applied by this case, it would be useful for the rehabilitation or renovation work in nuclear facilities which were being operated

In the low energy reactor antineutrino physics experiments, either for the researches of antineutrino oscillation and antineutrino reactions, or for the measurement of abnormal magnetic moment of antineutrino, the flux and the spectra of reactor antineutrino must be described accurately. The method of calculation of reactor antineutrino spectra was discussed in detail. Furthermore, based on the actual circumstances of NP2 reactors and the arrangement of detectors, the flux and the spectra of reactor antineutrino in TEXONO were worked out

Full Text Available The GUINEVERE project was launched in 2006, within the 6th Euratom Framework Program IP-EUROTRANS, in order to study the feasibility of transmutation in Accelerator Driven subcritical Systems (ADS. This zero-power facility hosted at the SCK·CEN site in Mol (Belgium couples the fast subcritical lead reactor VENUS-F with an external neutron source provided by interaction of deuterons delivered by the GENEPI-3C accelerator and a tritiated target located at the reactor core center. In order to test on-line subcriticality monitoring techniques, the reactivity of all the VENUS-F configurations used must be known beforehand to serve as benchmark values. That is why the Modified Source Multiplication Method (MSM is under consideration to estimate the reactivity worth of the control rods when the reactor is largely subcritical as well as near-critical. The MSM method appears to be a technique well adapted to measure control rod worth over a large range of subcriticality levels. The MSM factors which are required to account for spatial effects in the reactor can be successfully calculated using a Monte Carlo neutron transport code.

In an LMFBR type reactor, partitions are disposed to a coolant channel at positions lower than the free liquid level, and the width of the partitions is adapted to have a predetermined condition. Namely, when low temperature fluid overflowing the wall of the coolant channel, flows down and collided against the free liquid surface in the coolant channel, since the dropping speed thereof is reduced abruptly, large pressure waves are caused by kinetic force of the low temperature fluid. However, if appropriate numbers of partitions having an appropriate shape are formed, the dropping speed of the low temperature fluid is moderated to reduce the pressure waves. In addition, since the pressure waves are dispersed to the circumferential and lateral directions of the coolant flow channel respectively, the propagation of the pressure waves can be prevented effectively. Further, when the flow of the low temperature fluid is changed to the circumferential direction, for example, by earthquakes, since the partitions act as members resisting against the circumferential change of the low temperature fluid, the change of the direction can be suppressed. (N.H.)

There are many industrial catalytic organic reversible reactions with amines or alcohols that have water as one of the products. Many of these reactions are homogeneously catalyzed. In all cases removal of water facilitates the reaction and produces more of the desired chemical product. By shifting the reaction to right we produce more chemical product with little or no additional capital investment. Many of these reactions can also relate to bioprocesses. Given the large number of water-organic compound separations achievable and the ability of the Compact Membrane Systems, Inc. (CMS) perfluoro membranes to withstand these harsh operating conditions, this is an ideal demonstration system for the water-of-reaction removal using a membrane reactor. Enhanced reaction synthesis is consistent with the DOE objective to lower the energy intensity of U.S. industry 25% by 2017 in accord with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and to improve the United States manufacturing competitiveness. The objective of this program is to develop the platform technology for enhancing homogeneous catalytic chemical syntheses.

Highlights: • We present a S.M.C. system based on the S.M.O for control of a fast reactor power. • A S.M.O has been developed to estimate the density of delayed neutron precursor. • The stability analysis has been given by means Lyapunov approach. • The control system is guaranteed to be stable within a large range. • The comparison between S.M.C. and the conventional PID controller has been done. - Abstract: In this paper, a nonlinear controller using sliding mode method which is a robust nonlinear controller is designed to control a fast nuclear reactor. The reactor core is simulated based on the point kinetics equations and one delayed neutron group. Considering the limitations of the delayed neutron precursor density measurement, a sliding mode observer is designed to estimate it and finally a sliding mode control based on the sliding mode observer is presented. The stability analysis is given by means Lyapunov approach, thus the control system is guaranteed to be stable within a large range. Sliding Mode Control (SMC) is one of the robust and nonlinear methods which have several advantages such as robustness against matched external disturbances and parameter uncertainties. The employed method is easy to implement in practical applications and moreover, the sliding mode control exhibits the desired dynamic properties during the entire output-tracking process independent of perturbations. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in terms of performance, robustness and stability.

An electronic system to monitor and control operational variables in a Raceway type of reactor for the culture of the Scenedesmus spinosus microalgae and later production for biodiesel and mitigating CO{sub 2} was developed and tested. The electronic system is constituted by a micro controller, a card reader SD, a card SD, a real-time clock, a power supply, a screen GLCD, a keyboard and a card for data acquisition, all implemented for 4-20 mA and 0-5 V output sensors. Temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and solar radiation were measured digitalized and saved every 10 minutes. These variables were digitalized and kept in the SD memory every 10 minutes. It was determined that the most favorable conditions for the proliferation of the culture are near pH neutral and a temperature of 30 deg C, existing a strong correlation between pH and the dissolved CO{sub 2} level. Using the digital outputs of temperature and pH of the microcontroller, the CO{sub 2} injection and the elimination of O{sub 2} were controlled to maintain an adequate environment for the development of the culture. (author)

This paper presents a sliding mode controller (SMC) for dissolved oxygen (DO) in an integrated nitrogen removal process carried out in a suspended biomass sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The SMC performance was compared against an auto-tuning PI controller with parameters adjusted at the beginning of the batch cycle. A method for cancelling the slow DO sensor dynamics was implemented by using a first order model of the sensor. Tests in a lab-scale reactor showed that the SMC offers a better disturbance rejection capability than the auto-tuning PI controller, furthermore providing reasonable performance in a wide range of operation. Thus, SMC becomes an effective robust nonlinear tool to the DO control in this process, being also simple from a computational point of view, allowing its implementation in devices such as industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

Full Text Available Small modular reactors (SMRs are those nuclear fission reactors with electrical output powers of less than 300 MWe. Due to its inherent safety features, the modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR has been seen as one of the best candidates for building SMR-based nuclear plants with high safety-level and economical competitive power. Power-level control is crucial in providing grid-appropriation for all types of SMRs. Usually, there exists nonlinearity, parameter uncertainty and control input saturation in the SMR-based plant dynamics. Motivated by this, a novel saturated adaptive output-feedback power-level control of the MHTGR is proposed in this paper. This newly-built control law has the virtues of having relatively neat form, of being strong adaptive to parameter uncertainty and of being able to compensate control input saturation, which are given by constructing Lyapunov functions based upon the shifted-ectropies of neutron kinetics and reactor thermal-hydraulics, giving an online tuning algorithm for the controller parameters and proposing a control input saturation compensator respectively. It is proved theoretically that input-to-state stability (ISS can be guaranteed for the corresponding closed-loop system. In order to verify the theoretical results, this new control strategy is then applied to the large-range power maneuvering control for the MHTGR of the HTR-PM plant. Numerical simulation results show not only the relationship between regulating performance and control input saturation bound but also the feasibility of applying this saturated adaptive control law practically.

In this paper we present two lines of research on hybrid reactors including the use of membranes, although with different functions: RBPM, biofilm reactors and membranes filtration RBSOM, supported biofilm reactors and oxygen membranes. (Author) 14 refs.

Within the framework of the Technology Research Program on controlled fusion initiated by the European Communities, the Services des Piles de Saclay (SPS) of Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) have been requested to perform some necessary experiments to study the irradiation behaviour of materials which are possible candidates for controlled fusion reactors. This paper describes the devices, generally adapted from a standard model "The COLIBRI", which allow one to carry out, in the OSIRIS reactor, irradiations on the three great families of fusion reactor materials: - lithium containing materials of breeding blanket for in-situ tritium production, - protection materials, and - structural materials.

Within the framework of the Technology Research Program on controlled fusion initiated by the European Communities, the Services des Piles de Saclay (SPS) of Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA) have been requested to perform some necessary experiments to study the irradiation behaviour of materials which are possible candidates for controlled fusion reactors. This paper describes the devices, generally adapted from a standard model The COLIBRI, which allow one to carry out, in the OSIRIS reactor, irradiations on the three great families of fusion reactor materials: Lithium containing materials of breeding blanket for in-situ tritium production, protection materials, and structural materials.

The development of a simulator that uses the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method to solve the model of the punctual kinetics of a nuclear research reactor type TRIGA. The simulator includes an algorithm of power control of the reactor based on the fuzzy logic, a friendly graphic interface which responds to the different user's petitions and that it shows numerical and graphically the results in real time. The user can modify the demanded power and to visualize the dynamic behavior of the one system. This simulator was developed in Visual Basic under an open architecture with which its will be prove different controllers for its analysis. (Author)

A study on licensing processes for development reactors has been performed to prepare the licensing of development reactors developed in Korea. The contents and results of the study are summarized as follows. The licensing processes for nuclear reactors in Korea, U.S.A., Japan, France, U.K., Canada, and IAEA were surveyed and analyzed to obtain technical bases necessary for establishing licensing processes applicable to development reactors in Korea. Based on the technical bases obtained the above analysis, the purpose, power output, and design characteristics of development reactors were analyzed in detail. The analysis results suggested that development reactors should be classified as a new reactor category (called as 'development reactor') separated from the current reactor categories such as the research reactor and the power reactor. Therefore, it is proposed to establish a new reactor category classified as 'development reactor' for the development reactors. And licensing processes, including licensing technical requirements, licensing document requirements, and other regulatory requirements, were also proposed for the development reactors. In order to institutionalize the licensing processes developed in this study, it is necessary to revise the current laws. Therefore, draft provisions of Atomic Energy Act, Enforcement Decree of the Atomic Energy Act, and Enforcement Regulation of the Atomic Energy Act have been developed for the preparation of the future legalization of the licensing processes proposed for the development reactors. Conclusively, a proposal of licensing processes and draft provisions of laws have been developed for the development reactors. The results proposed in this study can be applied directly to the licensing of the future development reactors. Furthermore, they will also contribute to establishing successfully the licensing processes of the development reactors.

This document provides recommendations to guide reviewers in the application of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCS) to the control, monitoring and protection of nuclear reactors. The first topics addressed are system-level design issues, specifically including safety. The document then discusses concerns about the PLC manufacturing organization and the protection system engineering organization. Supplementing this document are two appendices. Appendix A summarizes PLC characteristics. Specifically addressed are those characteristics that make the PLC more suitable for emergency shutdown systems than other electrical/electronic-based systems, as well as characteristics that improve reliability of a system. Also covered are PLC characteristics that may create an unsafe operating environment. Appendix B provides an overview of the use of programmable logic controllers in emergency shutdown systems. The intent is to familiarize the reader with the design, development, test, and maintenance phases of applying a PLC to an ESD system. Each phase is described in detail and information pertinent to the application of a PLC is pointed out.

Highlights: ► The PSO algorithm was adopted to automatically design a BWR CRP. ► The local search procedure was added to improve the result of PSO algorithm. ► The results show that the obtained CRP is the same good as that in the previous work. -- Abstract: This study developed a method for the automatic design of a boiling water reactor (BWR) control rod pattern (CRP) using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The PSO algorithm is more random compared to the rank-based ant system (RAS) that was used to solve the same BWR CRP design problem in the previous work. In addition, the local search procedure was used to make improvements after PSO, by adding the single control rod (CR) effect. The design goal was to obtain the CRP so that the thermal limits and shutdown margin would satisfy the design requirement and the cycle length, which is implicitly controlled by the axial power distribution, would be acceptable. The results showed that the same acceptable CRP found in the previous work could be obtained.

Due to the corrosion problems of the aluminum coating of the reactor pool, a periodic inspections program by ultrasound to evaluate the advance grade and the corrosion speed was settled down. This inspections have shown the necessity to repair some areas, in those that the slimming is significant, of not making it can arrive to the water escape of the reactor pool. The objective of the repair is to place patches of plates of 1/4 inch aluminum thickness in the areas of the reactor 'liner', in those that it has been detected by ultrasound a smaller thickness or similar to 3 mm. To carry out this the fuels are move (of the core and those that are decaying) to a temporary storage, the structure of the core is confined in a tank that this placed inside the pool of the reactor, a shield is placed in the thermal column and it is completely extracted the water for to leave uncover the 'liner' of the reactor. (Author)

Full Text Available This paper describes the development of a dynamic model for the thermal-hydraulic analysis of MTR research reactors during a reactivity insertion accident. The model is formulated for coupling reactor kinetics with feedback reactivity and reactor core thermal-hydraulics. To represent the reactor core, two types of channels are considered, average and hot channels. The developed computer program is compiled and executed on a personal computer, using the FORTRAN language. The model is validated by safety-related benchmark calculations for MTR-TYPE reactors of IAEA 10 MW generic reactor for both slow and fast reactivity insertion transients. A good agreement is shown between the present model and the benchmark calculations. Then, the model is used for simulating the uncontrolled withdrawal of a control rod of an ETRR-2 reactor in transient with over power scram trip. The model results for ETRR-2 are analyzed and discussed.

Reliable instrumentation, information, and control (II&C) systems technologies are essential to ensuring safe and efficient operation of the U.S. light water reactor (LWR) fleet. These technologies affect every aspect of nuclear power plant (NPP) and balance-of-plant operations. In 1997, the National Research Council conducted a study concerning the challenges involved in modernization of digital instrumentation and control systems in NPPs. Their findings identified the need for new II&C technology integration.

Control rod reactivity (worths) for the three control rods and fuel rod power peaking factors in the University of Utah research reactor (100 kW TRIGA Mark I) are characterized using the AGENT code system and the results described in this paper. These values are compared to the MCNP6 and existing experimental measurements. In addition, the eigenvalue, neutron spatial flux distributions and reaction rates are analyzed and discussed. The AGENT code system is ...

Reliable instrumentation, information, and control (II&C) systems technologies are essential to ensuring safe and efficient operation of the U.S. light water reactor (LWR) fleet. These technologies affect every aspect of nuclear power plant (NPP) and balance-of-plant operations. In 1997, the National Research Council conducted a study concerning the challenges involved in modernization of digital instrumentation and control systems in NPPs. Their findings identified the need for new II&C technology integration.

Reliable instrumentation, information, and control (II&C) systems technologies are essential to ensuring safe and efficient operation of the U.S. light water reactor (LWR) fleet. These technologies affect every aspect of nuclear power plant (NPP) and balance-of-plant operations. In 1997, the National Research Council conducted a study concerning the challenges involved in modernization of digital instrumentation and control systems in NPPs. Their findings identified the need for new II&C technology integration.

The objective of this study is to determine how simulator physical fidelity influences the effectiveness of training the regulatory personnel responsible for examination and oversight of operating personnel and inspection of technical systems at nuclear power reactors. It seeks to contribute to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) understanding of the physical fidelity requirements of training simulators. The goal of the study is to provide an analytic framework, data, and analyses that inform NRC decisions about the physical fidelity requirements of the simulators it will need to train its staff for assignment at advanced reactors. These staff are expected to come from increasingly diverse educational and experiential backgrounds.

Full Text Available Feynman-alpha and Rossi-alpha methods are used in traditional nuclear reactors to determine the subcritical reactivity of a system. The methods are based on the measurement of the mean value, variance and the covariance of detector counts for different measurement times. Such methods attracted renewed attention recently with the advent of the so-called accelerator driven reactors (ADS proposed some time ago. The ADS systems, intended to be used either in energy generation or transuranium transmutation, will use a subcritical core with a strong spallation source. A spallation source has statistical properties that are different from those traditionally used by radioactive sources. In such reactors the monitoring of the subcritical reactivity is very important, and a statistical method, such as the Feynman-alpha method, is capable of resolving this problem.

The Fuel Engineering Division at IPEN/CNEN-SP developed facilities for visual inspection of the IEA-R1 fuel elements and neutron absorbing control rod assemblies inside the research reactor pool. This work presents the method of visual inspection performed at IEA-R1 research reactor. These inspections were adopted to evaluate and to follow the state of the Ag-In-Cd control assemblies fabricated at CERCA in 1972 that remain in use at the reactor core. In 1998, 2000 and 20001, visual inspections were performed in these control rod assemblies, which the general conditions were evaluated. (author)

This paper presents the integrated process design and controller design (IPDC) for a reactor-separator-recycle (RSR) system and evaluates a decomposition methodology to solve the IPDC problem. Accordingly, the IPDC problem is solved by decomposing it into four hierarchical stages: (i) pre-analysi...... to the solution of IPDC problems for RSR systems.......This paper presents the integrated process design and controller design (IPDC) for a reactor-separator-recycle (RSR) system and evaluates a decomposition methodology to solve the IPDC problem. Accordingly, the IPDC problem is solved by decomposing it into four hierarchical stages: (i) pre...... the design of a RSR system involving consecutive reactions, A B -> C and shown to provide effective solutions that satisfy design, control and cost criteria. The advantage of the proposed methodology is that it is systematic, makes use of thermodynamic-process knowledge and provides valuable insights...

The Virtual Reality (VR) is an advanced computer interface technology that allows the user to internet or to explore a three-dimensional environment through the computer, as was part of the virtual world. This technology presents great applicability in the most diverse areas of the human knowledge. This paper presents a study on the use of the VR as tool for human factors requirements evaluation in design of the nuclear reactorscontrol desks. Moreover, this paper presents a case study: a virtual model of the control desk, developed using virtual reality technology to be used in the human factors requirements evaluation. This case study was developed in the Virtual Reality Laboratory at IEN, and understands the stereo visualization of the Argonauta research nuclear reactorcontrol desk for a static ergonomic evaluation using check-lists, in accordance to the standards and human factors nuclear international guides (IEC 1771, NUREG-0700). (author)

The author offers a new kind of thermonuclear reflect reactor. The remarkable feature of this new reactor is a three net AB reflector, which confines the high temperature plasma. The plasma loses part of its energy when it contacts with the net but this loss can be compensated by an additional permanent plasma heating. When the plasma is rarefied (has a small density), the heat flow to the AB reflector is not large and the temperature in the triple reflector net is lower than 2000 - 3000 K. This offered AB-reactor has significantly less power then the currently contemplated power reactors with magnetic or inertial confinement (hundreds-thousands of kW, not millions of kW). But it is enough for many vehicles and ships and particularly valuable for tunnelers, subs and space apparatus, where air to burn chemical fuel is at a premium or simply not available. The author has made a number of innovations in this reactor, researched its theory, developed methods of computation, made a sample computation of typical pr...

The threshold-fission (fertile) nature of Am-241 is used to destroy this minor actinide by capitalizing upon neutron capture instead of fission within a sodium fast reactor. This neutron-capture and its subsequent decay chain leads to the breeding of even neutron number plutonium isotopes. A slightly moderated target design is proposed for breeding plutonium in an axial blanket located above the active “fast reactor” driver fuel region. A parametric study on the core height and fuel pin diameter-to-pitch ratio is used to explore the reactor and fuel cycle aspects of this design. This study resulted in both non-flattened and flattened core geometries. Both of these designs demonstrated a high capacity for removing americium from the fuel cycle. A reactivity coefficient analysis revealed that this heterogeneous design will have comparable safety aspects to a homogeneous reactor of comparable size. A mass balance analysis revealed that the heterogeneous design may reduce the number of fast reactors needed to close the current once-through light water reactor fuel cycle.

We have analyzed entropy production in chemically reacting systems and extended previous results to the two limiting cases of ideal reactors, namely continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and plug flow reactor (PFR). We have found upper and lower bounds for the entropy production in isothermal systems and given expressions for non-isothermal operation and analyzed the influence of pressure and temperature in entropy generation minimization in reactors with a fixed volume and production. We also give a graphical picture of entropy production in chemical reactions subject to constant volume, which allows us to easily assess different options. We show that by dividing a reactor into two smaller ones, operating at different temperatures, the entropy production is lowered, going as near as 48 % less in the case of a CSTR and PFR in series, and reaching 58 % with two CSTR. Finally, we study the optimal pressure and temperature for a single isothermal PFR, taking into account the irreversibility introduced by a compressor and a heat exchanger, decreasing the entropy generation by as much as 30 %.

This document describes the advantages and limitations of Hanford production facilities. In addition to summarizing the technical parameters of the reactors and separations plants and their mechanical features, the unique aspects of these facilities to the production of special materials in which the Commission may be interested have been discussed. As the primary difference between the B-C-D-DR-F-H reactors and the K reactors and the K reactors is in the number and length of process channels. This report is addressed primarily to the 2000-tube reactors. K reactor characteristics are within the range of lattice and flexibility parameters described.

Full Text Available A study of imaging the Fukushima Daiichi reactors with cosmic-ray muons to assess the damage to the reactors is presented. Muon scattering imaging has high sensitivity for detecting uranium fuel and debris even through thick concrete walls and a reactor pressure vessel. Technical demonstrations using a reactor mockup, detector radiation test at Fukushima Daiichi, and simulation studies have been carried out. These studies establish feasibility for the reactor imaging. A few months of measurement will reveal the spatial distribution of the reactor fuel. The muon scattering technique would be the best and probably the only way for Fukushima Daiichi to make this determination in the near future.

The purpose of this OPT is first to assure the DiD design during the licensing of Sf, but it will also contribute in evaluating the completeness of regulatory requirements under development by Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS). Based on the definition of Defense-in-Depth (DiD) levels and safety functions for KALIMER Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR), suggested in the reference and, Objective Provision Trees (OPTs) of reactivity control function for level 1, 2, 3 and 4 DiD were developed and suggested in this paper. The challenges and mechanisms and provisions were briefly explained in this paper. Comparing the mechanisms and provisions with the requirements will contribute in identifying the missing requirements. Since the design of Prototype Gen-IV Sf (PGSFR) is not mature yet, the OPT is developed for KALIMER design. Developed level 1 to 4 OPTs in this study can be used for the identification of potential design vulnerabilities. When detailed identification of provisions in terms of design features were achieved through the next step of this study, it can contribute to the establishment of defense-in-depth evaluation frame for the regulatory reviews for the licensing process. In the next stage of this study, other safety function will be researched and findings can be suggested as recommendations for the safety improvement.

Copper was continuously and selectively precipitated with Na{sub 2}S to concentrations below 0.3 ppb from water containing around 600 ppm of both Cu and Zn in a Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor. The pH was controlled at 3 and the pS at 25 (pS = -log(S{sup 2-})) by means of an Ag{sub 2}S sulfide selective electrode. Copper's recovery and purity were about 100%, whereas the total soluble sulfide concentration was below 0.02 ppm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that copper precipitated as hexagonal CuS (covellite). The mode of the particle size distribution (PSD) of the CuS precipitates was around 36 {mu}m. The PSD increased by high pS values and by the presence of Zn. Depending on the turbulence, the CuS precipitates can grow up to 200 {mu}m or fragment in particles smaller than 3 {mu}m in a few seconds. Zn precipitation with Na{sub 2}S at pH 3 and 4, in batch, always lead to Zn concentrations above 1 ppm. Zn precipitated as cubic ZnS (spharelite).

... designed for inserting or removing fuel in an operating nuclear reactor. (3) Complete reactorcontrol rod... contain fuel elements and the primary coolant in a nuclear reactor at an operating pressure in excess of... diffuser plates especially designed or prepared for use in a nuclear reactor. (8) Reactorcontrol......

The effect of the absence of trace elements on the conversion of a mixture of volatile fatty acids by a distillery anaerobic granular sludge was investigated. Two UASB reactors were operated under identical operational conditions except for the influent trace metal concentrations, during 140 days. Experiments were carried out in three periods, where different organic loading rates (OLR) were applied to the reactors. The total trace metal concentration steadily decreased at a rate of 48 microg metal/g TS.d in the deprived reactor (down to 35% of their initial value). In contrast, trace metals accumulated in granules present in the controlreactor. At the end of the experiment, the COD removal efficiencies were 99% and 77% for the control and deprived reactors, respectively, due to the lack of propionate conversion. Cobalt sorption experiments were carried out in order to study its speciation, and its effects on the speciation of other metals as well. A paper mill wastewater treating granular sludge was also included in the study as a comparison. Results obtained showed that the principal metal forms normally associated with any sludge are a function of each soluble metal concentration in the system, and the characteristics of the particular sludge.

Highlights: • We establish a disperse dynamic model for AP1000 reactor core. • A digital PID control based on QDRNN is used to design a decoupling control system. • The decoupling performance is verified and discussed. • The decoupling control system is simulated under the load following operation. - Abstract: The control system of the AP1000 reactor core uses the mechanical shim (MSHIM) strategy, which includes a power control subsystem and an axial power distribution control subsystem. To address the strong coupling between the two subsystems, an interlock between the two subsystems is used, which can only alleviate but not eliminate the coupling. Therefore, sometimes the axial offset (AO) cannot be controlled tightly, and the flexibility of load-following operation is limited. Thus, the decoupling of the original AP1000 reactor core control system is the focus of this paper. First, a two-node disperse dynamic model is established for the AP1000 reactor core to use PID control. Then, a digital PID control system based on a quasi-diagonal recurrent neural network (QDRNN) is designed to decouple the original system. Finally, the decoupling of the control system is verified by the step signal and load-following condition. The results show that the designed control system can decouple the original system as expected and the AO can be controlled much more tightly. Moreover, the flexibility of the load following is increased.

This paper presents a new sonochemistry reactor, which consists of a cylindrical tube with a certain length and piezoelectric transducers at tube's end with the longitudinal vibration. The tube can effectively transform the longitudinal vibration into the radial vibration and thereby generates ultrasound. Furthermore, ultrasound can be focused to form high-intensity ultrasonic field inside tube. The reactor boasts of simple structure and its whole vessel wall can radiate ultrasound so that the electroacoustic transfer efficiency is high. The focused ultrasonic field provides good condition for sonochemical reaction. The length of the reactor can be up to 2 meters, and liquids can pass through it continuously, so it can be widely applied in liquid processing such as sonochemistry.

The low aspect ration tokamak is proposed for the driver of a transmutation reactor.The main parameters of the reactor core,neutronic analysis of the blanket are given>the neutron wall loading can be lowered from the magnitude order of 1 MW/m2 to 0.5MW/m2 which is much easier to reach in the near future,and the transmutation efficiency (fission/absorption ratio)is raised further.The blanket power density is about 200MW/m3 which is not difficult to deal with.The key components such as diverter and center conductor post are also designed and compared with conventional TOkamak,Finally,by comparison with the other drivers such as FBR,PWR and accelerator,it can be anticipated that the low aspect ratio transmutation reactor would be one way of fusion energy applications in the near future.

The University of North Dakota is developing a plasma reactor system for use in closed-loop processing that includes biological, materials, manufacturing, and waste processing. Direct-current, high-frequency, or microwave discharges will be used to produce plasmas for the treatment of materials. The plasma reactors offer several advantages over other systems, including low operating temperatures, low operating pressures, mechanical simplicity, and relatively safe operation. Human fecal material, sunflowers, oats, soybeans, and plastic were oxidized in a batch plasma reactor. Over 98 percent of the organic material was converted to gaseous products. The solids were then analyzed and a large amount of water and acid-soluble materials were detected. These materials could possibly be used as nutrients for biological systems.

The new KW reactor was placed in operation on January 4, 1955, and had been running at relatively low power levels for only 17 hours when it was shut down because of a process tube water leak which appeared to be associated with a slug rupture. After several days of unrewarding effort to remove the slugs and tube by customary methods, it developed that considerable melting of the tube and slugs had taken place. It was then evident that removal of the stuck mass and repairs to the damaged tube channel would require unusual measures that were certain to extend the reactor outage for several weeks. This report documents the work and findings of the Committee which investigated the KW reactor incident. Its content represents unanimous agreement among the three Committee members.

Gaseous-fuel nuclear reactors are described; their distinguishing feature is the use of fissile fuels in a gaseous or plasma state, thereby breaking the barrier of temperature imposed by solid-fuel elements. This property creates a reactor heat source that may be able to heat the propellant of a rocket engine to 10,000 or 20,000 K. At this temperature level, gas-core reactors would provide the breakthrough in propulsion needed to open the entire solar system to manned and unmanned spacecraft. The possibility of fuel recycling makes possible efficiencies of up to 65% and nuclear safety at reduced cost, as well as high-thrust propulsion capabilities with specific impulse up to 5000 sec.

India's nuclear programme envisages a large-scale utilisation of thorium, as it has limited deposits of uranium but vast deposits of thorium. The large-scale utilisation of thorium requires the adoption of closed fuel cycle. The stable nature of thoria and the radiological issues associated with thoria poses challenges in the adoption of a closed fuel cycle. A thorium fuel based Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is being planned to provide impetus to development of technologies for the closed thorium fuel cycle. Thoria fuel has been loaded in Indian reactors and test irradiations have been carried out with (Th-Pu) MOX fuel. Irradiated thorium assemblies have been reprocessed and the separated 233U fuel has been used for test reactor KAMINI. The paper highlights the Indian experience with the use of thorium and brings out various issues associated with the thorium cycle.

Loop type LMFBR heat transport system dynamics after reactor shutdown and during subsequent decay heat removal are considered with emphasis on steam generator dynamics including the development and evaluation of various post-scram steam generator control systems, and natural circulation of the sodium coolant, including the influence of superimposed free convection on forced convection heat transfer and pressure drop. The normal operating and decay heat removal functions of the overall heat transport system are described.

Continuous flow synthesis of gold nanoparticles was demonstrated using a microchannel reactor with glucose reduction in aqueous alkaline medium. Particle size, morphology, and visual/optical properties of the dispersion liquid were controlled dynamically by tuning of the rate of NaOH addition. Characteristic star-like nanoparticles formed spontaneously as a quasi-stable state, but they changed the morphology to round shape and showed spectral change over time.

The Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR) is a pool type research reactor which was reconstructed in 1982 from the previous 250 kW TRIGA-MARK II reactor. The reactor core, the control and instrumentation system, the primary and secondary cooling systems as well as other associated systems were newly designed and installed. The renovated reactor reached its initial criticality in November 1983 and attained its nominal power of 500 kW in February 1984. Since then DNRR has been operated safely. Retained structures of the former reactor such as the reactor aluminum tank, the graphite reflector, the thermal column, the horizontal beam tubes and the radiation concrete shielding are 35 years old. During the recent years, in-service inspection has been carried out, the reactorcontrol and instrumentation system were renovated due to ageing and obsolescence of its components, reactor general inspection and refurbishment were performed. Efforts are being made to cope with ageing of old reactor components to maintain safe operation of the DNRR. (author)

The approach and methodology of conducting a dynamic analysis is presented in this poster session in order to describe how this type of analysis can be used to evaluate the operation and control of process reactors. Dynamic analysis of the PyGas{trademark} gasification process is used to illustrate the utility of this approach. PyGas{trademark} is the gasifier being developed for the Gasification Product Improvement Facility (GPIF) by Jacobs-Siffine Engineering and Riley Stoker. In the first step of the analysis, process models are used to calculate the steady-state conditions and associated sensitivities for the process. For the PyGas{trademark} gasifier, the process models are non-linear mechanistic models of the jetting fluidized-bed pyrolyzer and the fixed-bed gasifier. These process sensitivities are key input, in the form of gain parameters or transfer functions, to the dynamic engineering models.

The analysis of specific control strategies and dynamic behavior of the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO{sub 2}) Brayton cycle has been extended to the two reactor types selected for continued development under the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative; namely, the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) and the Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR). Direct application of the standard S-CO{sub 2} recompression cycle to the VHTR was found to be challenging because of the mismatch in the temperature drop of the He gaseous reactor coolant through the He-to-CO{sub 2} reactor heat exchanger (RHX) versus the temperature rise of the CO{sub 2} through the RHX. The reference VHTR features a large temperature drop of 450 C between the assumed core outlet and inlet temperatures of 850 and 400 C, respectively. This large temperature difference is an essential feature of the VHTR enabling a lower He flow rate reducing the required core velocities and pressure drop. In contrast, the standard recompression S-CO{sub 2} cycle wants to operate with a temperature rise through the RHX of about 150 C reflecting the temperature drop as the CO{sub 2} expands from 20 MPa to 7.4 MPa in the turbine and the fact that the cycle is highly recuperated such that the CO{sub 2} entering the RHX is effectively preheated. Because of this mismatch, direct application of the standard recompression cycle results in a relatively poor cycle efficiency of 44.9%. However, two approaches have been identified by which the S-CO{sub 2} cycle can be successfully adapted to the VHTR and the benefits of the S-CO{sub 2} cycle, especially a significant gain in cycle efficiency, can be realized. The first approach involves the use of three separate cascaded S-CO{sub 2} cycles. Each S-CO{sub 2} cycle is coupled to the VHTR through its own He-to-CO{sub 2} RHX in which the He temperature is reduced by 150 C. The three respective cycles have efficiencies of 54, 50, and 44%, respectively, resulting in a net cycle

Thermionic reactors are prime candidates for nuclear electric propulsion. The national thermionic reactor effort is concentrated on the flashlight concept with the external-fuel concept as the backup. The external-fuel concept is very adaptable to a completely modular power subsystem which is attractive for highly reliable long-life applications. The 20- to 25-cm long, externally-fueled converters have been designed, fabricated, and successfully tested with many thermal cycles by electrical heating. However, difficulties have been encountered during encapsulation for nuclear heated tests and none have been started to date. These nuclear tests are required to demonstrate the concept feasibility.

Full Text Available A mixture of acetic anhydride is reacted with excess water in an adiabatic batch reactor to form an exothermic reaction. The concentration of acetic anhydride and the temperature inside the adiabatic batch reactor are calculated with an initial temperature of 20°C, an initial temperature of 30°C, and with a cooling jacket maintaining the temperature at a constant of 20°C. The graphs of the three different scenarios show that the highest temperatures will cause the reaction to occur faster.

The principal objectives of the PITR - Princeton Ignition Test Reactor - are to demonstrate the attainment of thermonuclear ignition in deuterium-tritium, and to develop optimal start-up techniques for plasma heating and current induction, in order to determine the most favorable means of reducing the size and cost of tokamak power reactors. This report describes the status of the plasma and engineering design features of the PITR. The PITR geometry is chosen to provide the highest MHD-stable values of beta in a D-shaped plasma, as well as ease of access for remote handling and neutral-beam injection.

A longer-than-expected maintenance shutdown of the Canadian nuclear reactor that produces North America's entire supply of molybdenum-99 - from which the radioactive isotopes technetium-99 and iodine-131 are made - caused delays to the diagnosis and treatment of thousands of seriously ill patients last month. Technetium-99 is a key component of nuclear-medicine scans, while iodine-131 is used to treat cancer and other diseases of the thyroid. Production eventually resumed, but only after the Canadian government had overruled the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), which was still concerned about the reactor's safety.

This new streamlined text offers a one-semester treatment of the essentials of how the fission nuclear reactor works, the various approaches to the design of reactors, and their safe and efficient operation. The book includes numerous worked-out examples and end-of-chapter questions to help reinforce the knowledge presented. This textbook offers an engineering-oriented introduction to nuclear physics, with a particular focus on how those physics are put to work in the service of generating nuclear-based power, particularly the importance of neutron reactions and neutron behavior. Engin

This article shows how it is possible to define operating conditions for pilot plants and development labs by scaling down a commercial reactor. Points out that scaledown consideration and experiment planning can be done in a similar manner for the boiling water-cooled, Lurgi-type reactor. Explains that although the design of large, single-train plants to produce methanol for fuel use has different economic objectives, product specifications, and technical constraints from the traditional commercial methanol plants, the same fundamental laws of thermodynamics and reaction kinetics apply to both types of operation.

The Universal Delivery Machine (UDM) is a new CANDU reactor maintenance tool that allows safe, timely, and cost-effective inspection and maintenance of fuel channels. The UDM must align precisely with reactor end-fittings in order to clamp onto fuel channels without applying excessive force. This alignment process is called fine homing. This paper describes the UDM instrumentation and control design features used in the fine homing process. (author)

The metal and graphite components used in high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) may suffer physical-chemical alterations, irradiation damage and mechanical alterations. Their failure may call the security of these reactors into question by affecting the integrity of the pressure control system, core geometry or its cooling, among other aspects. This article analyses the work currently being done in the matter by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (Author)

The major objectives of this work were to operate and construct an autohydrogenotrophic reactor and estimate perchlorate degradation kinetics. The results show that autohydrogenotrophic bacteria were cultured in the reactor and capable of removing 3.6 mg/d of perchlorate in the presence of excess hydrogen (99% removal). The reactor was successful in treating the average influent perchlorate concentration of 532 microg/L to the level of 3 microg/L. A first-order relationship was obtained between the concentration of active biomass in the reactor and the hydraulic retention time for the given amount of substrate. During the kinetic loading study, perchlorate removal ranged from 100 to 50%. The kinetic rate of perchlorate degradation observed in this study was 1.62 hr(-1). The significant degradation of perchlorate in these samples indicates the ubiquity of perchlorate-reducing organisms. Additionally, nitrate was simultaneously removed during water treatment (greater than 90% removal). Because of the excess levels of hydrogen, simultaneous removal of nitrate was not believed to significantly affect perchlorate removal. The area of concern was the lack of complete control over biological treatment. The growth of sulfate-reducing organisms in the reactor negatively affected perchlorate removal efficiency. There were no significant effects observed on the dissolved organic carbon and total suspended solids concentration of the effluent, suggesting that the treatment did not produce a large amount of biomass washout.

Control of alkalinity, dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO2), and pH are critical in marine recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in order to maintain health and maximize growth. A small-scale prototype aragonite sand filled fluidized bed reactor was tested under varying conditions of alkalinity and dCO2 to develop and model the response of dCO2 across the reactor. A large-scale reactor was then incorporated into an operating marine recirculating aquaculture system to observe the reactor as the system moved toward equilibrium. The relationship between alkalinity dCO2, and pH across the reactor are described by multiple regression equations. The change in dCO2 across the small-scale reactor indicated a strong likelihood that an equilibrium alkalinity would be maintained by using a fluidized bed aragonite reactor. The large-scale reactor verified this observation and established equilibrium at an alkalinity of approximately 135 mg/L as CaCO3, dCO2 of 9 mg/L, and a pH of 7.0 within 4 days that was stable during a 14 day test period. The fluidized bed aragonite reactor has the potential to simplify alkalinity and pH control, and aid in dCO2 control in RAS design and operation. Aragonite sand, purchased in bulk, is less expensive than sodium bicarbonate and could reduce overall operating production costs.

Increasing the distance from which an antineutrino detector is capable of monitoring the operation of a registered reactor, or discovering a clandestine reactor, strengthens the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty. This report presents calculations of reactor antineutrino interactions, from quasi-elastic neutrino-proton scattering and elastic neutrino-electron scattering, in a water-based detector operated >10 km from a commercial power reactor. It separately calculates signal from the proximal reactor and background from all other registered reactors. The main results are interaction rates and kinetic energy distributions of charged leptons scattered from quasi-elastic and elastic processes. Comparing signal and background distributions evaluates reactor monitoring capability. Scaling the results to detectors of different sizes, target media, and standoff distances is straightforward. Calculations are for two examples of a commercial reactor (P_th~3 GW) operating nearby (L~20 km) an underground facil...

The use of the Oregon State University TRIGA Reactor during the year ending June 30, 1979, is summarized. Environmental and radiation protection data related to reactor operation and effluents are included.

The purpose of this letter is to request Naval Reactors comments on the nuclear reactor high tier requirements for the PROMETHEUS space flight reactor design, pre-launch operations, launch, ascent, operation, and disposal, and to request Naval Reactors approval to transmit these requirements to Jet Propulsion Laboratory to ensure consistency between the reactor safety requirements and the spacecraft safety requirements. The proposed PROMETHEUS nuclear reactor high tier safety requirements are consistent with the long standing safety culture of the Naval Reactors Program and its commitment to protecting the health and safety of the public and the environment. In addition, the philosophy on which these requirements are based is consistent with the Nuclear Safety Policy Working Group recommendations on space nuclear propulsion safety (Reference 1), DOE Nuclear Safety Criteria and Specifications for Space Nuclear Reactors (Reference 2), the Nuclear Space Power Safety and Facility Guidelines Study of the Applied Physics Laboratory.

Materials undergo enhanced corrosion in the presence of oxidants in aqueous media. Usually, hydrogen gas or water soluble reducing agents are used for inhibiting corrosion. In the present study, the feasibility of using alternate reducing agents such as hydrazine, aqueous ammonia, and hydroxylamine that can stay in the liquid phase was investigated. A comparative study of corrosion behavior of the structural materials of the nuclear reactor viz. carbon steel (CS), stainless steel (SS-304 LN), monel-400 and incoloy-800 in the oxidizing and reducing conditions was also made. In nuclear industry, the presence of radiation field adds to the corrosion problems. The radiolysis products of water such as oxygen and hydrogen peroxide create an oxidizing environment that enhances the corrosion. Electrochemical studies at 90 °C showed that the reducing agents investigated were efficient in controlling corrosion processes in the presence of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Evaluation of thermal stability of hydrazine and its effect on corrosion potential of SS-304 LN were also investigated in the temperature range of 200–280 °C. The results showed that the thermal decomposition of hydrazine followed a first order kinetics. Besides, a change in electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) was observed from −0.4 V (Vs SHE) to −0.67 V (Vs SHE) on addition of 5 ppm of hydrazine at 240 °C. Investigations were also made to understand the distribution behavior of hydrogen peroxide and hydrazine in water-steam phases and it was found that both the phases showed identical behavior. - Highlights: • Hydrazine was found to be a promising reducing agent for oxidant control. • In presence of hydrazine corrosion potential of SS304 LN was well below −230 mV. • SS304LN could be protected from IGSCC by hydrazine addition. • Thermal and radiation stability of hydrazine at 285 °C was found satisfactory.

A flame aerosol reactor (FLAR) was developed to synthesize nanoparticles with desired properties (crystal phase and size) that could be independently controlled. The methodology was demonstrated for TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, and this is the first time that large sets of samples with the same size but different crystal phases (six different ratios of anatase to rutile in this work) were synthesized. The degree of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticle agglomeration was determined by comparing the primary particle size distribution measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to the mobility-based particle size distribution measured by online scanning mobility particle spectrometry (SMPS). By controlling the flame aerosol reactor conditions, both spherical unagglomerated particles and highly agglomerated particles were produced. To produce monodisperse nanoparticles, a high throughput multi-stage differential mobility analyser (MDMA) was used in series with the flame aerosol reactor. Nearly monodisperse nanoparticles (geometric standard deviation less than 1.05) could be collected in sufficient mass quantities (of the order of 10 mg) in reasonable time (1 h) that could be used in other studies such as determination of functionality or biological effects as a function of size.

Phosphorus pollution control and phosphorus recycling, simultaneously, are focus of attention in the wastewater treatment. In this work, a novel reactor named partitionable-space enhanced coagulation (PEC) was invented for phosphorus control. The working performance and process mechanism of PEC reactor were investigated. The results showed that the PEC technology was highly efficient and cost-effective. The volumetric removal rate (VRR) reached up to 2.86 ± 0.04 kg P/(m(3) d) with a phosphorus removal rate of over 97%. The precipitant consumption was reduced to 2.60-2.76 kg Fe(II)/kg P with low operational cost of $ 0.632-0.673/kg P. The peak phosphorus content in precipitate was up to 30.44% by P2O5, which reveal the benefit of the recycling phosphorus resource. The excellent performance of PEC technology was mainly attributed to the partitionable-space and 'flocculation filter'. The partition limited the trans-regional back-mixing of reagents along the reactor, which promoted the precipitation reaction. The 'flocculation filter' retained the microflocs, enhancing the flocculation process.

Experiments on gas release of reactor-irradiated beryllium samples were carried out and compared to control samples. The simultaneous influence of reactor irradiation and exposure to hydrogen results in more hydrogen retention in beryllium, than if beryllium is initially irradiated and then exposed to hydrogen. Appearance of low temperature peaks at 460 K and 540 K with 0.71 eV/atom and 0.84 eV/atom desorption activation energies, respectively, assessed in a frame of a second order desorption model, is mainly responsible for the increase in hydrogen content. These peaks can be attributed to chemical hydrogen bonds with surface oxide. The simultaneous influence of hydrogen and nuclear reactor irradiation at a temperature of 1150 K was assumed to increase significantly microcrack formation near the surface of beryllium samples, resulting in an increase in low temperature peak intensities. (orig.).

Power reactors can be used for partial short-term transmutation of radwaste. This transmutation is beneficial in terms of subsequent storage conditions for spent fuel in long-term storage facilities. CANDU-type reactors can transmute the main minor actinides from two or three reactors of the VVER-1000 type. A VVER-1000-type reactor can operate in a self-service mode with transmutation of its own actinides.

The BSR is a pool-type reactor. It has the capabilities of continuous operation at a power level of 2 MW or at any desired lower power level. This manual presents descriptive and operational information. The reactor and its auxiliary facilities are described from physical and operational viewpoints. Detailed operating procedures are included which are applicable from source-level startup to full-power operation. Also included are procedures relative to the safety of personnel and equipment in the areas of experiments, radiation and contamination control, emergency actions, and general safety. This manual supersedes all previous operating manuals for the BSR.

A microchannel reactor system was used in a biodesulfurization process in which the rate of biodesulfurization in the oil/water phase of the microchannel reaction was more than nine-fold that in a batch (control) reaction. In addition, the microchannel reaction system using a bacterial cell suspension degraded alkylated dibenzothiophene that was not degraded by the batch reaction system. This work provides a foundation for the application of a microchannel reactor system consisting of biological catalysts using an oil/water phase reaction.

The VR-1 sparrow reactor is an experimental nuclear facility for training, student education and teaching purposes. The sparrow reactor is an educational platform for the basic experiments at the reactor physic and dosimetry. The aim of this article is to describe the new experimental equipment EMK310 features and possibilities for neutron detection by different gas filled detectors at VR-1 reactor. Among the EMK310 equipment typical attributes belong precise set-up, simple control, resistance to electromagnetic interference, high throughput (counting rate), versatility and remote controllability. The methods for non-linearity correction of pulse neutron detection system and reactimeter application are presented.

This document deals with the Heavy Water Reactor (HWR) technology and especially the Candu (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactor. This reactors type offers many advantages that promote them for the future. General concepts, a description of the Candu nuclear power plants, the safety systems, the fuel cycle and economical and environmental aspects are included. (A.L.B.)

It is propsed that the linearity criterion and order criterion via frequency spectrum features without any limitation of the model's phase can be used in reactor noise analysis.The time constant,natural frequency as well as the recovered transfer function of reactors can bhe obtained via the analyzable model based on reactor noise.

Full Text Available In the work the issues of stable technological modes of operation of main devices of producing polysterol reactors have been researched as well as modes of stable operation of a chemical reactor have been presented, which enables to create optimum mode parameters of polymerization process, to prevent emergency situations of chemical reactor operation in industrial conditions.

The Laminar Entrained Flow Reactor (LEFR) is a modular, lab scale, single-user reactor for the study of catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP). This system can be employed to study a variety of reactor conditions for both in situ and ex situ CFP.

Efficient and effective education and training of nuclear engineering students and nuclear workers are critical for the safe operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants. With an eye toward this need, we have focused on the development of 3D models of virtual labs for education, training as well as to conduct virtual experiments. These virtual labs, that are expected to supplement currently available resources, and have the potential to reduce the cost of education and training, are most easily developed on game-engine platforms. We report some recent extensions to the virtual model of the University of Illinois TRIGA reactor.

A nozzle for an electric dispersion reactor includes two concentric electrodes, the inner one of the two delivering disperse phase fluid into a continuous phase fluid. A potential difference generated by a voltage source creates a dispersing electric field at the end of the inner electrode.

Using the hydrolysis of crystal violet dye by sodium hydroxide as an example, the theory, apparatus, and procedure for a laboratory demonstration of tubular reactor behavior are described. The reaction presented can occur at room temperature and features a color change to reinforce measured results. (WB)

Current state-of-the-art inorganic oxide membranes offer the potential of being modified to yield catalytic properties. The resulting modules may be configured to simultaneously induce catalytic reactions with product concentration and separation in a single processing step. Processes utilizing such catalytically active membrane reactors have the potential for dramatically increasing yield reactions which are currently limited by either thermodynamic equilibria, product inhibition, or kinetic selectivity. Examples of commercial interest include hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, partial and selective oxidation, hydrations, hydrocarbon cracking, olefin metathesis, hydroformylation, and olefin polymerization. A large portion of the most significant reactions fall into the category of high temperature, gas phase chemical and petrochemical processes. Microporous oxide membranes are well suited for these applications. A program is proposed to investigate selected model reactions of commercial interest (i.e. dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene and dehydrogenation of butane to butadiene) using a high temperature catalytic membrane reactor. Membranes will be developed, reaction dynamics characterized, and production processes developed, culminating in laboratory-scale demonstration of technical and economic feasibility. As a result, the anticipated increased yield per reactor pass economic incentives are envisioned. First, a large decrease in the temperature required to obtain high yield should be possible because of the reduced driving force requirement. Significantly higher conversion per pass implies a reduced recycle ratio, as well as reduced reactor size. Both factors result in reduced capital costs, as well as savings in cost of reactants and energy.

The neutron scattering technique has become an accepted method for the study of condensed matter. Because of the great scientific and technical value of neutron experiments and the growing body of users, several proposals have been made during the past decade for a nuclear reactor devoted primarily to this technique. This article reviews the reasons for and history behind these proposals.

The phenomenological characterization of the use of non-invasive and passive techniques to enhance the boiling heat transfer in water has been carried out in this extended study. It provides fundamental enhanced heat transfer data for nucleate boiling and discusses the associated physics with the aim of addressing future and next-generation reactor thermal-hydraulic management. It essentially addresses the hypothesis that in phase-change processes during boiling, the primary mechanisms can be related to the liquid-vapor interfacial tension and surface wetting at the solidliquid interface. These interfacial characteristics can be significantly altered and decoupled by introducing small quantities of additives in water, such as surface-active polymers, surfactants, and nanoparticles. The changes are fundamentally caused at a molecular-scale by the relative bulk molecular dynamics and adsorption-desorption of the additive at the liquid-vapor interface, and its physisorption and electrokinetics at the liquid-solid interface. At the micro-scale, the transient transport mechanisms at the solid-liquid-vapor interface during nucleation and bubblegrowth can be attributed to thin-film spreading, surface-micro-cavity activation, and micro-layer evaporation. Furthermore at the macro-scale, the heat transport is in turn governed by the bubble growth and distribution, macro-layer heat transfer, bubble dynamics (bubble coalescence, collapse, break-up, and translation), and liquid rheology. Some of these behaviors and processes are measured and characterized in this study, the outcomes of which advance the concomitant fundamental physics, as well as provide insights for developing control strategies for the molecular-scale manipulation of interfacial tension and surface wetting in boiling by means of polymeric reagents, surfactants, and other soluble surface-active additives.

The Nuclear Fuel Center (CCN) of IPEN produces nuclear fuel for the continuous operation of the IEA-R1 research reactor of IPEN. The serial production started in 1988, when the first nuclear fuel element was delivered for IEA-R1. In 2011, CCN proudly presents the 100{sup th} nuclear fuel element produced. Besides routine production, development of new technologies is also a permanent concern at CCN. In 2005, U{sub 3}O{sub 8} were replaced by U{sub 3}Si{sub 2}-based fuels, and the research of U Mo is currently under investigation. Additionally, the Brazilian Multipurpose Research Reactor (RMB), whose project will rely on the CCN for supplying fuel and uranium targets. Evolving from an annual production from 10 to 70 nuclear fuel elements, plus a thousand uranium targets, is a huge and challenging task. To accomplish it, a new and modern Nuclear Fuel Factory is being concluded, and it will provide not only structure for scaling up, but also a safer and greener production. The Nuclear Engineering Center has shown, along several years, expertise in the field of nuclear, energy systems and correlated areas. Due to the experience obtained during decades in research and technological development at Brazilian Nuclear Program, personnel has been trained and started to actively participate in design of the main system that will compose the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor (RMB) which will make Brazil self-sufficient in production of radiopharmaceuticals. The institution has participated in the monitoring and technical support concerning the safety, licensing and modernization of the research reactors IPEN/MB-01 and IEA-R1. Along the last two decades, numerous specialized services of engineering for the Brazilian nuclear power plants Angra 1 and Angra 2 have been carried out. The contribution in service, research, training, and teaching in addition to the development of many related technologies applied to nuclear engineering and correlated areas enable the institution to

The analysis of specific control strategies and dynamic behavior of the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO{sub 2}) Brayton cycle has been extended to the two reactor types selected for continued development under the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative; namely, the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) and the Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR). Direct application of the standard S-CO{sub 2} recompression cycle to the VHTR was found to be challenging because of the mismatch in the temperature drop of the He gaseous reactor coolant through the He-to-CO{sub 2} reactor heat exchanger (RHX) versus the temperature rise of the CO{sub 2} through the RHX. The reference VHTR features a large temperature drop of 450 C between the assumed core outlet and inlet temperatures of 850 and 400 C, respectively. This large temperature difference is an essential feature of the VHTR enabling a lower He flow rate reducing the required core velocities and pressure drop. In contrast, the standard recompression S-CO{sub 2} cycle wants to operate with a temperature rise through the RHX of about 150 C reflecting the temperature drop as the CO{sub 2} expands from 20 MPa to 7.4 MPa in the turbine and the fact that the cycle is highly recuperated such that the CO{sub 2} entering the RHX is effectively preheated. Because of this mismatch, direct application of the standard recompression cycle results in a relatively poor cycle efficiency of 44.9%. However, two approaches have been identified by which the S-CO{sub 2} cycle can be successfully adapted to the VHTR and the benefits of the S-CO{sub 2} cycle, especially a significant gain in cycle efficiency, can be realized. The first approach involves the use of three separate cascaded S-CO{sub 2} cycles. Each S-CO{sub 2} cycle is coupled to the VHTR through its own He-to-CO{sub 2} RHX in which the He temperature is reduced by 150 C. The three respective cycles have efficiencies of 54, 50, and 44%, respectively, resulting in a net cycle

Three relatively simple mathematical models have been developed to estimate minimum reactor and radiation shield masses for liquid-metal-cooled reactors (LMRs), in-core thermionic fuel element (TFE) reactors, and out-of-core thermionic reactors (OTRs). The approach was based on much of the methodology developed for the Reactor/Shield Mass (RSMASS) model. Like the original RSMASS models, the new RSMASS-derivative (RSMASS-D) models use a combination of simple equations derived from reactor physics and other fundamental considerations, along with tabulations of data from more detailed neutron and gamma transport theory computations. All three models vary basic design parameters within a range specified by the user to achieve a parameter choice that yields a minimum mass for the power level and operational time of interest. The impact of critical mass, fuel damage, and thermal limitations are accounted for to determine the required fuel mass. The effect of thermionic limitations are also taken into account for the thermionic reactor models. All major reactor component masses are estimated, as well as instrumentation and control (I&C), boom, and safety system masses. A new shield model was developed and incorporated into all three reactor concept models. The new shield model is more accurate and simpler to use than the approach used in the original RSMASS model. The estimated reactor and shield masses agree with the mass predictions from separate detailed calculations within 15 percent for all three models.

Within some years, the Jules Horowitz Reactor will be the only working experimental reactor (material and fuel testing reactor) in France. It will have to provide facilities for a wide range of needs from activation analysis to power reactor fuel qualification. In this paper the main characteristics of the Jules Horowitz Reactor are presented. Safety criteria are explained. Finally, merits and disadvantages of UMo compared to the standard U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} fuel are discussed. (author)